Brothers and sisters, do you need encouragement?
Jesus' disciples needed encouragement. Toward the end of Jesus’ time on earth He shared incredible words of encouragement, guidance, and assurance to His disciples. We know this section of the Bible as the Farewell Discourse. This passage of the Bible is found in John chapters 14-16. Please make time to read this passage soon.
For our purposes today, though let’s focus on the main points of this passage. Here is a condensed version of what Jesus shared with His disciples in His Farewell Discourse:
“Let not your heart be troubled. Where I am there you may be also. I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me. If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. Whatever you ask in My name I will do--so that the Father will be glorified in the Son. I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper.
If you have my commands and keep them—you love me, and my Father will love you and I will love you and show myself to you. The Holy Spirit will teach you all things and remind you of my words. My peace I give to you. I am the vine—the Father is the vinedresser. If you abide in me and I in you—you bear much fruit—apart from Me you can do nothing. If you abide in Me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be done for you.
I have told you these things so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be full. Love one another as I have loved you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. I will send you the Spirit of truth, a helper who comes from the Father and bears witness about Me.
I say all these things to keep you from falling astray. Because I leave, I am sending the counselor--the Holy Spirit to you. The Holy Spirit will convict the world about sin, righteousness and judgment. The Spirit will guide you into all truth. My Father will give you whatever you ask in My name. Ask anything in My name and you will receive it that your joy may be complete.
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
I can imagine how these words must have encouraged the disciples—they encourage us!
When we read these three chapters (John 14-16), we see an emphasis on two major points. First, we see Jesus promises to answer prayer in His name. Second, we notice Jesus promise to send a helper, the Holy Spirit. As I count the references to prayer and the Holy Spirit in these chapters, I come up with six repeated or restated statements both for prayer and for the Holy Spirit. Jesus is clearly teaching His disciples that they were to move forward in ministry by relying on God through His manifested power in the Holy Spirit and praying in Jesus name. This is His plan, not mine, not ours, but God’s way of doing church—of doing ministry.
Please consider Daniel Henderson’s definition of prayer. It perfectly portrays this truth of relying on God completely,
“Prayer is intimacy with God that leads to the fulfillment of His purposes, accomplished by His power, for His glory.”
For our discussion today, let’s focus on Jesus' amazing emphasis on prayer. We will look at Jesus’ emphasis on the Holy Spirit another time. Jesus repeated and restated His promise to answer prayer in His name six times . Did the disciples get this? Did they embrace Jesus’ call to prayer? Did they realize what power Jesus would send to them through the Holy Spirit?
We see in Acts that the answer to these questions is definitely yes! They got it! We see the disciples praying and waiting on God when the Father sends the Holy Spirit, resulting in the birth of the church (Acts 2). We see the church praying fervently for an imprisoned Peter resulting in a miraculous escape (Acts 12). We see the church in Antioch Lydia Lydia as a pillar of the church at Philippi . Yes, brothers and sisters, they got it. Jesus encouraged them toward prayer and faith—they got it.
Before we apply this to our lives, let’s look at a few more examples. Martin Luther accepted Jesus’ call to pray in His name as well. As E. M. Bounds shares a record from Melancthon’s correspondents about Martin Luther’s prayer life in Bounds’ book entitled, Purpose in Prayer, “Then not a day passes in which he does not fail to employ in prayer at least three of his very best hours.” Martin Luther gave three hours to prayer each day. We see other saints given over to prayer--saints who God used to impact the world and the church like John Wesley, George Mueller, Andrew Murray, David Brainerd and many others. These saints accepted Jesus’ call to prayer.
So, these saints were people of prayer. God used them to glorify His name and impact His kingdom in mighty ways. What about us? Do we accept Jesus’ call to prayer? I submit to you that Jesus’ is telling us today through His words to His disciples,
“Church, this is how you do ministry! This is how you be the church! This is how you impact the world for My glory! Please, listen! Please pray in My name! Pray, like I modeled prayer for you.”
Brother and sister—fellow Christ follower, what are we going to do with this call to prayer? Too often we neglect it. No longer can this happen. We must pray. We must pray Bible-based, Spirit-led, kingdom-focused prayers to the Father in Jesus name. Yes, this is our calling. Let’s embrace it!
Let me ask you something. What if every follower of Christ prayed like Martin Luther and gave three of the best hours of their day in prayer? What would happen? I think the world would be transformed! Isn’t this the point? Isn’t our mission to share the gospel and make disciples on a global scale? Yes, it is. Yes, our gracious Father gave us prayer through His Son as the way to accomplish His purposes—let us accept Jesus’ call to pray.
Oh Father, compel us to pray like you compelled Martin Luther to engage for Your purposes. Compel us to pray like you compelled Paul to preach. Father, help us be intercessors according to Your plan, not ours. Glorify Your name. Accomplish Your purposes through Your power. May we engage in Your purposes through prayer like Jesus’ calls us to engage.
Compelled to pray and desperate for God, Steve
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