I am away at a conference for work – so pre-writing these for the next few days – early mornings getting to where I have to go.

And so I see from the Lord a great theme – and now to get these written for 3 days – a three part look at prayer – and the first one is pretty meaningful – Jesus prays and Jesus prays for HIMSELF – wow… Three parts in John 17 – Jesus prays for Himself – and then His disciples – and then all believers…

Part 1 Jesus prays for Himself

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. John 17:1-5 NKJV

Would God need to pray for Himself?????? – Well, He did!!!! Well a prayer that is a PRAISE is right up God’s alley – well God owns the whole alley and building and streets and mountains and cows on mountains… God surely praised Himself when the world was made – good good good very good… And making man, God said very good – good enough to come as man – Jesus fully God humbled Himself in servitude to come to earth as a man – and not to live a long life but a few crucial influential years – and at this point in His Journey, in addition to partaking in the normal even ritual prayers from the Temple and the times, Jesus praising the Father – our Father – Jesus was always also seeming to be praying for His strength – time taken by his days out alone in the desert or on the mountain. And now this prayer in John 17 is the GLORIFYING prayer – that Jesus got done what He was called to get done in life – and now having finished this stretch of time, He was to enter into the next phase – the last days – the final walk to the cross and these prayers come immediately after Jesus tells the disciples: “I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” J16v28 –  “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.” J16v33

Jesus overcame the world from the beginning of the world and the follow through on the plan. We too can pray: LORD HELP ME THROUGH MY DAY – LORD HELP ME BE IN YOUR PLAN – LORD HELP ME ACCEPT THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS AND TRIUMPHS OF YOUR WILL OVER OURS AND OVER THE WORLD….

As we step out into this day – and as we get ready for what God intends, let us be OK to pray – and pray in praise – that because Jesus came, we can go… And because of Jesus, we are OK to pray for ourselves and pray and praise God for all He has done – really there is no such thing as too much prayer…

AMEN