Praying like Jesus - part 1

Sunday was such an awesome day at church.  Once again we had multiple new families visiting the church, some of which it was their second or third time.  We also kicked off a new sermon series that is focusing on John 17 – praying like Jesus.  Yesterday we started off with John 17:1-5 where Jesus prays for himself.  As we model Jesus’ prayer in our own lives, it would do us good to likewise: prayer to God as “Father,” pray that we submit to His will, and pray that we would draw near to Him. 

 

Something I was thinking about earlier today comes during the short time between Jesus being nailed to the cross and when he actually dies.  Go ahead and open your bible and read Luke 23:32-43.  In Luke’s Gospel he records the crucifixion of Jesus alongside two other criminals.  Now what is interesting is the short dialogue that Luke records for us.  As you read, you will notice one of the criminals mocks Jesus and the other one defends him.  But what is really interesting is the request that each of them has.  As you reflect on these few verses, don’t judge the criminals in your mind.  Associate with them.  Ask yourself, “which one of these criminals alongside Jesus am I most like?”

Criminal #1

-          Mocks Jesus – “hurled insults at him”

-          Said to Jesus – “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

 

Criminal #2

-          Rebuked criminal #1

-          Says their punishment is deserved

-          Declares that Jesus has done nothing wrong

-          Asks of Jesus – “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

-          Jesus replies to him – “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

 

Did you notice the difference?  One criminal demands that if Jesus is really God, then he needed to prove it and get him out of his circumstance.  If Jesus is really God, he needed to get off the cross and then remove the other two from the pain and their current reality.  The other criminal, however, doesn’t ask Jesus to remove him from his suffering, but that Jesus would ultimately take him higher.  That Jesus would save him not from his physical death, but that Jesus would give him eternal life.  And Jesus replies to this man.

 

Which of the two reflect your prayers?  Are your prayers filled with the requests for Jesus to do something or to get you around the pain and struggles of daily life?  Or do you pray in a way that asks the Father not to help you avoid the struggles of life, but to get you through them?  Do you pray in such a way that results in you drawing closer to Jesus?  Do you pray in your current circumstances that Jesus would be glorified?

 

Just some food for thought.