Praying For Yourself Should Be A Prayer For Others

John 17; Luke 22

Inadequate. Writing about my meditations, my thoughts, my ponderings, for these my thought, my prayer is, Lord, what do you want me to know? And is what I write really domething that You want others to read. After all this isn't doctrine, this isn't to anyone in particular other than myself. Because Lord, I am very inadequate to be used by You Lord.

The first time I was ever asked to preach was at the church where my family attended in my growing up years. Many families there were shirttail relations. You know, my Dad's brother's wife (my aunt) was sister to the wife in another family in the church. And that sister's husband had a sister who was the wife of another family in the church, and so on. We were mostly dairy farmers. Those things didn't bother me. What was my major concern was that I was giving forth God's Word and I didn't want anything I said to be wrong, against Scripture. I must not present anything of God or His Word in error, misleading anyone. That was almost fifty years ago and I still feel inadequate. My prayer even writing at this moment is still the same.

Bringing up thoughts of the past this particular day is hard. Forty seven years ago this night was my first night of my honeymoon. My wife then passed a little over three years ago now. She prayed for me back then when I prepared and preached that message, and that was even before we were married. Praying, praying for others that you preach to, those you teach, those your life is an example to day by day, those who intimately know my failings like my wife knew me and our six children know me, as I know my self even now. And speaking of drastically inadequate to write this meditation praying and often doubting from inadequacy all along. Were it to be a meditation on the prayer of Solomon (2 Chronicles 6), of Daniel (Daniel 9), or Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1), well, yeah, inadequate, but definitely not as inadequate as to voice my thoughts on the high priestly prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ, the son of God, communing with His heavenly Father (John 17), and also His brief, but very crucial prayer especially from Luke 22 bearing out the truth and reality of Philippians 2 and Hebrews 5:7, 8. I feel the weight of Psalm 19:14 and Psalm 139:23, 25.

Try me, O God, and know mine heart: prove me and know my thoughts, And consider if there be any way of wickedness in me, and lead me in the way for ever.

Psalms 139:23-24 GNV

In my quest to find what Jesus taught on prayer and fasting in the back of my head I knew that eventually I would come to where Jesus prayed His high priestly prayer, as it is often called, and of course His prayer in the garden. Both prayers were intimate very personal prayers communing heart to heart with His Father, and about Himself, but both were ultimately for others. For those who believe on Him that they wouldn't be taken out of this world, but be kept from the evil. Then very to the point, if there were some other way other than the cross to let this cup pass from me, i.e. my suffering for the sin of everyone who ever lived, is living, and for whoever will live, Father, yet not my will, but thine. He could not pray for Himself without having the ultimate goal of that of being for others.

Taking each of these to their ultimate conclusion, a prayer for self should indeed be a prayer for others, but that prayer for others, should be only for God’s glory.

O righteous Father, the world also hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known, that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy Name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them, and I in them.

John 17:25-26 GNV

Saying, Father, if thou wilt, take away this cup from me: neuertheless, not my will, but thine be done.

Luke 22:42 GNV