He Intercedes for my Sanctification
“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”
John 17:15-19 (NIV)
When I was a little girl growing up wrestling with rejection as my parents were not in my life because of their addictions, I had an uncle who was a dedicated believer in Jesus; Uncle Mark. My family did not (and still does not) understand the change from who he was before his encounter with Jesus to this very different man he had become. Yet, I have never known my Uncle Mark without Jesus. He was someone that took time to invest in me. Some of the most enjoyable experiences of my childhood were with him: going hiking after church on Sundays; going to UNLV football and basketball games; taking me to church and youth group activities; beach camping for the first time in my life. He served his family by joining the list of people helping care for me because my parents weren’t. He has always been loving, kind, and willing to make an investment in my life.
It wasn’t until I was older and became a parent myself that I had an epiphany one day: My Uncle Mark prayed for me. He has never flat out said it, but I know that he prayed for me when I was a child and as I entered into adulthood. I’d like to think that he still has me (and now my family) on his prayer list. It was one of those moments of realization that was so simple, and yet so profound and beautiful. He prayed for me. I believe that his prayers and intercession added to the hedge of protection God had around my life, and contributed to me becoming a believer in Jesus myself.
In an even more powerful epiphany, it is something so simple, yet so profound and beautiful to know Jesus prayed for me (and you as a believer in Him). John 17 is a chapter capturing moments of Jesus’ prayer after the Passover meal. He knows in just a few hours the cross will be before Him. Despite knowing His sacrifice and death are coming, He prays. He prays for His obedience to recognized and glorified (vs. 1-5); He prays for His disciples (vs. 6-19); and He prays for all future believers (vs. 20-25).
This world is filled with intense, complex, difficult, horrible, and evil things. Just the other day, I was talking with one of my tribe members, and I said, “Let’s all pitch in and buy an island somewhere and leave all this behind.” While I meant it as a joke to lighten the intensity of life, I realized that my heart was in a place of wishing I didn’t have to deal with all the things. How much easier it would be to just leave all the difficult chaos behind; and yet if that were the case, we’d miss the blessing.
Jesus specifically prays for us to be in the world because it is through believers that God’s goodness and love shine. Think of every tragedy, natural disaster, and horrific event that has happened in this world, and you will find believers serving in tangible and real ways. Food. Water. Clothes. Shelter. Hygiene. Medical. Construction rebuilds. Counseling. Prayer. We are to be in this world, but not to be of it; which means we are to be different. We are to speak, live, think, and love differently than this world.
Because of this, Jesus specifically prays for our protection. He knows that there are people and forces in this world that hate God and will do whatever they can to stop God’s good news and light from going forth. Jesus knew this because He experienced it, and was about to go through the most excruciating example of it in just a few hours: the cross. Yet, it is the trial where we learn a lesson and experience another level of sanctification in our walk with our Heavenly Father. Jesus doesn’t expect perfection, but progress. The Christian’s progress is to become sanctified in this journey before eternity. Sanctification is to be set apart for the use intended by our Creator. That is the blessing of enduring living in this world, but being different from it: you come and see who you were created to be. How beautiful that Jesus prays for our protection to experience this blessing through our journey!
We live in a broken world. Therefore, we are going to experience intense, complex, difficult, horrible, and even evil things in this life. What a gift to know that Jesus prayed for our faith journeys Himself; that we have people like Uncle Mark in our lives that pray for us; and we have the chance to be intercessors by praying for others too. May we Come and See the gift of intercession Jesus showed us to move us toward the blessing of sanctification.
Points to Ponder:
· Do you have a believer in your life that has prayed for you? If yes, add them to your prayer list and invite them for a cup of coffee to say thank you for their intercession for you.
· Who can you be interceding in prayer this week by praying for protection for them?
· How has your journey of sanctification been since you’ve become a believer with Jesus? What changes do you notice in the ways you speak, think, live, and love?
· Are you going through a trial right now? Who can you ask to come along side you for prayer?
Megan Sinisi absolutely adores a good cup of coffee, chocolate, and sitting with people to share life stories. She is a native to Las Vegas, born and raised, and has four beautiful children with her handsome husband, Vincenzo. She is a counselor, specializing in the field of addictions, with multiple certifications, both in Nevada and nationally. She directed Nevada’s largest treatment court and has been building her private practice since 2014, acquiring contracts with the City of Las Vegas, City of Henderson, Clark County Special Defender’s Office, and Zappos.com. It is because of her own journey of healing and through her career that she has learned the wounds we have can begin to be healed as we share our stories. She considers it an honor when someone shares their story with her, and hopes that as she shares her stories of victory and healing that others can be inspired, encouraged, and challenged. Megan has a love and fervor for writing and is walking in faith that God is calling her to use that passion and gift for His glory. She is someone who is known for her honesty and transparency that brings light to difficult situations and feelings, and offers hope and encouragement for the journey of life. It is her hope that by sharing her journey, it encourages, challenges, inspires, comforts, and most importantly, shines the light of Jesus and the reality of His love, grace, and mercy. You can find more from Megan at www.meganjsinisi.com And @meganjsinisi on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.