In God’s network, there is no such thing as an undeliverable prayer.
Dare 2 Share - Isn’t it frustrating when you send an e-mail to a friend, only to have it returned as ‘undeliverable mail’? Maybe the address changed, or you mistyped it. Either way, you tried to connect with someone, but instead you got that message right back in your face.
Sometimes prayer can feel like that. You offer up requests to God and try to connect, but deep down you feel like it’s coming back as ‘undeliverable prayers’.
Maybe God was too busy, or just plain tired of hearing from you. It feels like the prayer came right back in your face.
I’ve got good news for you. In God’s network, there is no such thing as an undeliverable prayer. He is never too busy, and He never grows weary of hearing your voice. His attentive ear is constantly turned towards His children, and His angels stand ready to swiftly deliver an answer.
Sound good? Well then, I’ve got even better news for you. If you are still feeling discouraged about your prayer life, then remember that Jesus prays for you as well!
It’s all there in John 17, and it’s all good! Talk about your ultimate e-mail, our Savior sent a message to the Father about you and me nearly 2000 years ago, and the communiqués will continue until the culmination of the centuries.
If your prayer life is feeling like a slow internet connection lately, I have an assignment for you. Make a copy of Jesus’ prayer below. Write your name in every blank, and over the next week spend some time reading through it. At the end of each day, journal your thoughts about Jesus praying for you.
John 17
Jesus looked up to heaven and said:
: 1 Father, the time has come. Reveal the glory of Your Son so that He can give the glory back to You.
: 2 For You have given Him authority over every man and woman in all the earth. He gives eternal life to each one You have given Him.
: 3 And this is the way to have eternal life; By knowing You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the One You sent to earth.
: 4 I brought glory to You here on earth by doing everything You told Me to.
:5 And now, Father, reveal My glory as I stand in Your presence, the glory We shared before the world began.
: 6 I have told ____________ about You. _____ was in the world, but then You gave _____ to Me. Actually, _____ was always Yours, and You gave _____ to Me; and _____ has obeyed You.
:7 Now ____________ knows that everything I have is a gift from You.
:8 For I have passed on to ____________ the commands You gave Me; and _____ accepted them and knows of a certainty that I came down to earth from You, and _____ believes You send Me.
:9 My plea is not for the world but for ____________ You have given Me because _____ belongs to You.
:10 And ____________ is Mine, _____ belongs to You; and You have given _____ back to Me with everything else of Yours, and so _____ is My glory!
:11 Now I am leaving the world, and leaving ____________ behind, and coming to You, Holy Father, keep _____ in Your care—and all the others You have given Me—so that they will be united just as We are, with none missing.
:12 During My time here I have kept safe within Your family ____________ and others whom You have given Me. I guarded them so that not one perished, except the son of hell, as the Scriptures foretold.
:13 And now I am coming to You. I have told ____________ many things while I was with _____ so that _____ would be filled with My joy.
:14 I have given ____________ Your commands. And the world hates _____ because _____ doesn’t fit in with it, just as I don’t.
:15 I’m not asking You to take _____ out of the world, but to keep _____ safe from Satan’s power.
:16 ____________ is not part of this world any more than I am.
:17 Make _____ pure and holy through teaching _____ Your words of truth.
:18 And I consecrate Myself to meet ____________’s needs for growth in truth and holiness;
:19 As You sent Me into the world, I am sending ____________ into the world.
:20 I am not praying for ____________ alone, but also for all future believers who will come to Me because of the testimony of ____________ .
:21 My prayer for _____ (and other believers) is that they will be of one heart and mind, just as You and I are, Father—that just as You are in Me and I am in You, so they will be in Us, and the world will believe You sent Me.
:22 I have given ____________ the glory You gave Me—the glorious unity of being one, as We are.
:23 I in ____________ and You in Me, all being perfected into one—so that the world will know You sent Me and will understand that You love ____________ as much as You love Me.
:24 Father, I want _____ with me, You have given ____________ to Me so that _____ can see My glory. You gave Me the glory because You loved Me before the world began!
:25 O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know You, but I do, and ____________ , my disciple, knows You sent Me.
:26 And I have revealed You to ____________ , and will keep on revealing You so that the mighty love You have for Me may be in ____________ and I in _____.
Questions:
1) How does reading this prayer affect your prayer life?
2) Does this prayer increase your desire to share your faith with your friends and family? Why or why not?
Remember, God is anxiously awaiting the words: “You’ve Got Mail”.
