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| October 18, 2001 |
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| "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are." I once read about a son, hearing his father pray that the needs of the poor might be supplied. This man was a farmer, and the son said to him one day, "Dad, I wish I had your grain." And the father replied, "Why, son?" The son simply answered, "I would answer your prayers!" Sometimes we don't realize it, but the answers to many of our prayers, lie within us! Prayer for missions lies within our pockets, as do prayer for our church building funds. Prayer for our government, lies within us as law-abiding citizens. Prayer for our children, lies in us to teach them the Word of God. These are just a few to mention. Jesus prayed, then He acted on His prayer. His action was at the cross on Calvary, where He suffered, died, and rose again for the salvation of the whole human race. Jesus prayed for His disciples that their faith would not fail and then lovingly encouraged them to faithfulness. Could the answer to some of our prayers be handled in this same way? God will lead us to action as we allow Him to be in us through His Holy Spirit. Jesus prays that we should be one "as we are" ~ that is, as the Father and the Son are one. The Father has answered every prayer of His Son. There is an organic unity which God has made. The Holy Spirit takes all true believers and baptizes them into the body of Christ, identifies them in the body of Christ. There is but one true church ~ and every prayerful believer in Jesus Christ, is a member of that church! Application: Many answers to our prayers lie within us. If we, in truth, search our souls, we can take care of them with God's help and blessings. May God bless you with a wonderful day as you search your hearts for a response to your prayers ~ for the answer may be within your reach. Love in Christ, Sandy |