“I Have Prayed for You”

These little grandchildren -- in need of prayers! 

Scripture:

Luke 22:28   “You are those who have stood by me in my trials; ²⁹ and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, ³⁰ so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Luke 22:31   “Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, ³² but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” ³³ And he said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!” ³⁴ Jesus^a said, “I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me.”

Observation:

This journey of discipleship and mentoring continues, with Jesus using every moment left in his life to instill faith in these followers. They had made it to this night, one that they would later understand to be pivotal. A kingdom was to be conferred upon these twelve, who represented the twelve tribes of Israel. This was to be a new kingdom, one in which everyone was invited to the Communion table of our Lord. 

The disciples would face temptations — and especially Peter. The enemy loves to go after the strong and mighty, for when they fall, the result is great devastation. Satan wanted to sift away all the disciples — and he is in the same business today. Then comes a powerful statement from Jesus, “I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail.” Jesus had been praying for Peter to succeed. There was a foreshadowing in Jesus’ comments — he knew that Peter would fail this time — but then be restored, and would be able to strengthen the others. Peter thought he was already prepared, but Jesus knew he was not. 

Application:

I don’t think that I’d ever noticed that phrase before, “I have prayed for you.” When I think about Jesus spending hours and hours in prayer, I imagine that he prayed to know the Father’s will, and for strength to complete the task, however, I’m not sure that I thought about his interceding for the disciples. I thought that came later, after he had ascended, but, it only makes sense that Jesus would be praying for his disciples. Jesus was mentoring, and praying for those who would carry on his ministry. 

That phrase, “I have prayed for you,” or “I am praying for you” gets thrown around a lot. When Jesus said it, you can believe that he really meant it. He had really been praying for Peter, so much so, that he knew what Peter would be facing, and how he would respond. Today, we are challenged to raise up a new generation of disciples who need mentors and intercessors, if they are to make it. It’s far too easy to point fingers at the next generation and complain that they don’t seem to be strong in their faith, but how much of that comes back to us. I say “us” because I realize that I am now a part of that older generation whose responsibility it is to pass on the faith. 

The lack of faith in the younger generation may have more to say about us, than it does about them. How much time have we spent praying for our children and our grandchildren? Have we intentionally invested in nurturing their faith? This doesn’t mean just taking them to church once or twice a month, but living out a life of faith day in and day out. It means having tough conversations about faith as you gather around the table. We need to prioritize prayer in our own lives that includes a list of names who are regularly brought before the Father. 

The next time we say, “I have prayed for you,” may it be in the same spirit as that of Jesus. Prayer and mentoring go hand in hand as we pour into those who will come after us. 

Prayer:

Lord, today I lift up the next generation. May they know you clearly and have the strength to follow you all the days of their lives. Amen.