We are in the midst of a 30 Day Prayer Challenge at First Baptist – Columbus, the congregation I am blessed to serve as pastor. This blog is addressed to that challenge and its participants, but I hope might speak to others beyond our faith community as well.
Most of us, if asked to identify Jesus’ prayer, or The Lord’s Prayer, would quickly think of the prayer he taught his disciples, found in Matthew 6 or Luke 11. But there’s another, longer prayer of Jesus’ found in John 17. In this prayer Jesus prays for us. And he prays for all “those who will believe in me” through the witness of his followers.
Get that – Jesus is praying for our witness to others in his name. He is praying that we who claim his name and the identify of Christ follower, will be purposeful in sharing the good news we’ve come to know and understand with others. He is praying for the multiplication of the church, for the growth of his Kingdom, on earth as in heaven.
What does that do for you? Does it give you courage to know that Jesus has prayed this prayer for you and I? Does it inspire you to pray this same thing for yourself, for others, for your congregation?
Sharing faith, witness, evangelism . . . whatever “churchy” word you choose, is too often neglected in our prayers. We are called to pray for those who are without Christ. We are called to pray for our witness to, with and for them.
Will you join me in this prayer?
danielcash 