Prayer for the Persecuted Church
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Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Introduction
33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
This comes at the end of the URD
We are familiar with this
“These Things”
What commands do we see?
Do not be Troubled (x2)
Believe (x4)
Do not be Fearful
Abide (x2)
Ask (x2)
Remember
Take Courage
So this is what we are to do, but it doesn’t cover the why.
If we walk through the content, the commands make more sense
31 Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; 32 if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. 33 “Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’
This is Jesus setting the scene for the URD.
34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me. 7 “If you have come to know Me, you will know My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
11 “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.
25 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26 “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit from itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
9 “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.
12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
23 “And on that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.
24 “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made complete.
26 “On that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. 28 “I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.”
33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
All of these commands are based one of three different things:
Command to Love
Cost of Discipleship
Being One
Why?
Command to Love - because the world will hate you
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
Cost of Discipleship - Remember who Jesus is
8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
Being One - The Purpose of Glorifying the Father
8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
And what does Jesus do after issuing these commands?
He prays for unity.
Remember Jesus first words:
33 “Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’
And now His last words:
33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
And what does Jesus pray?
14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
So despite the hatred of the world, Jesus doesn’t want us taken away
17 “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. 18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world.
Process - Study the Word
Purpose - Disciple the World
19 “For their sake I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
Jesus did this so we could too.
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
22 “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
So as we remember the persecuted church today, what do we pray for?
We pray the same thing that Jesus did.
We pray that they would
Love one another
Remember who Jesus is
Take Courage because they have a purpose
We pray that they would
Study the Word
Disciple the World
We pray that our unity, our love for one another, would show the world who Jesus is.
As we come to the table today, let’s pray for our brothers and sisters around the world.
Because we love them
Because they love Jesus
Because we love Jesus
Because we are united in Him.
19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”
20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.
Let’s Pray
23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
