My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
– John 17:20-21
In the moments before His arrest, Jesus prayed. He prayed for His disciples – those eleven imperfect men who would soon abandon Him in fear. But what’s remarkable is that Jesus didn’t stop there. He looked beyond their fear, beyond their failure, and prayed for all who would come to believe in Him through their testimony. That means He prayed for you and me.
Think about that for a moment. Jesus, knowing the cross was just hours away, had you in mind! He prayed for your faith, your life, and your relationship with His Father. He knew the disciples would stumble, but He also knew their failure wasn’t the end of the story. After His resurrection, their faith would be renewed, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, they would take His message to the world.
From a worldly perspective, Jesus didn’t have much to show for His ministry when He left this earth. He didn’t have wealth, political power, or large crowds following Him at the end. But He wasn’t worried in the least about appearances… He trusted God’s plan and believed in what He had planted in the hearts of His disciples. That same confidence carried over into His prayer for all future believers, including you and me!
Loved one, this truth should give us so much confidence! His prayer for the disciples carried them through to the very end, and it will for us too! In fact, He continues to intercede for us even now (Romans 8:34), strengthening us when we feel weak and reminding us that we are part of God’s great plan!
Today, rest in the knowledge that Jesus prayed for you. Even in His darkest hour, His love for you shone through. He sees beyond your failures, just as He did with His disciples, and He believes in what God can do in and through your life!
Today’s Prayer: Jesus, thank You for praying for me. It humbles me to know that I was on Your heart even in Your final hours. Help me to trust Your plans and to remember that my failures don’t define me. Renew my faith and give me the courage to carry Your message into the world. Amen.
Former Blackout Artist 