Jesus Prayed

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray for those who will believe in me through this message, that all of them may be one, Father. John 17:20,21a (NIV)

I’m not sure at what age I became a Christian. I was very young. The movie, King of Kings, came out when I was in elementary school. It impacted my life in a powerful, positive manner. It was the first time I saw the story of Jesus and His crucifixion. From then on, my heart belonged to Jesus.

When my older sister, Gene, was fifteen and I was thirteen, I awakened in the wee hours of the morning to her soft sobs. She was on her knees by her bedside, hands clasped in prayer. Tears streamed down her face as she prayed fervently to Jesus. My heart melted with love for her, hurting for her tears. In the moonlight she seemed to glow softly. Gene and I remain close as sisters and friends, not only of the flesh, but of the spirit.

At night I pray for my family, thanking God for the love we share. In the seventeenth chapter of John, Jesus prayed for His earthly family, His disciples. But, what awes me the most is to realize that He prayed for all of us today who believe because of the Good News of the Gospel. Jesus prayed before He died upon the cross, that those crucifying Him may be forgiven. At James 5:16, He left us instructions to pray for each other so that we may be healed. Jesus prayed for me and you. I am grateful.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for praying for me before I was, and for all those who will come after me. Amen.

© 2011 E. Bonnie Ryan