Tuesday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of my heart through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ my Lord. Amen.

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Morning Reading – John 17:1-12 (NLT)

The Prayer of Jesus

After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.

“I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.

“My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.

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Morning Reflection:

Jesus Prays for You

“My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me,

because they belong to you.” – John 17:9

Today’s reading reveals the intimacy between Father and Son, and Jesus’ expectation of returning to his position with the Father in glory after completing his work assignment here on earth.

But before he leaves, he prays for us – i.e. he prays for those the Father has given him, for those who belong to the Father. STOP – do you belong to the Father? That’s the essential question, and before you answer look at the criteria that Jesus give us.

“This is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God,

and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.” – John 17:3

You belong to the Father, if you believe in Jesus. If that’s confusing to you, check out this link PeaceWithGod.net, it explains the relationship between believing and belonging, between Jesus and the Father.

Jesus prays for us –

+ For our unity as believers – that the Holy Spirit enable us to participate in the oneness of love, life, and power between the Father and the Son, thereby demonstrating that we are the children of God.

+ For our safety as believers – that we are protected from our worldly selves while we are being made over in the image of Christ; that we become  become credible witness to the Truth of Christ, and that we remain as salt, light, and leaven of Christ’s coming Kingdom.

+ For our joy as believers – that we would be filled with joy in the midst of our trials and tribulations created by living in the world but not belonging to the world.

Questions for consideration:

• Do you belong to the Father? How do you know? Please explain.
• What separates you from other believers? How could you show unity with them? Please explain.
• What separates you from unbelievers? Do you feel inhibited from publicly living out your faith? Please explain.
• Where do you need more joy in your life? Have you asked the Father to fill you with joy in the Holy Spirit? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

Heavenly Father: Make me one with other believers in spite of our differences; protect me from the lies, deceit, and destructive forces in this world; and fill me with unspeakable joy as I await Jesus’ return in glory. I ask this in his name. Amen.

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“Your Love Defends Me” – Matt Maher

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen