For the sermon, I didn't focus too much on the content of Jesus' prayer, which is what we hear in the gospel lesson, but instead I focused on that fact that Jesus is praying for us. Having someone else pray for us is a very humbling act, especially when we are there to hear it. At the end of the sermon I did ask if there were any additional prayer request and there were quiet a few, mainly of concern but there was also some of celebration. Hopefully next week those prayer request are given at the beginning of worship and not after I've
Enjoy the sermon:
Each week we begin worship by asking for prayers of concern and celebration and I have noticed something: people hardly ever ask for prayers for themselves, except for wedding anniversaries. Birthdays are almost always announced by another family member or friend. And often the person whose birthday it is will look embarrassed or at least humbled by the announcement. We will list people who are ill or going to have surgery soon but never for ourselves. Quite a few people have told me after worship that they are having surgery, though often minor, later in the week and to keep them in my prayers. Yet there is this need, this desire to keep our needs private. And it is not just health concerns, I, and pastors in general, find out all the time, privately after worship about people being laid off, difficult job searches or even new jobs, financial issues both good and bad including homes being foreclosed or promotion, marriage and other relationship issues, and many many more things.
Oh people have it worse off than me, they don’t need to waste their prayers on making sure my surgery goes well, granted I’m pretty worried about it. Oh its no big deal, I don’t need prayers to make sure that I don’t kill my teenager who I’m having a very difficult time with right now. I know that everyone can be a big support but I don’t want everyone else finding out that we’re having financial struggles and might not be able to eat more than ramen noodles this week. Oh if I ask for prayers of celebration over the big job promotion people might think that I’m bragging.
We often don’t ask for prayers because we don’t want to feel needy, or greedy. Sometimes it is too humbling to ask for prayers from a group. Or it makes us too vulnerable to tell people that we are in need of something, that we aren’t able to provide for ourselves and sometimes asking another person for a prayer can come across as a request for something that we cannot provide for ourselves either personally or physically.
But what does it feel like when someone prays for you, especially if you are there and you hear it? When your name is listed on your birthday? Or how about a more elaborate prayer when you are truly struggling and need support?
Comforted, vulnerable, grateful, honored, humbled, awkward, appreciative, like someone really cares.
Those are words that are both positive and negative, but even the negative ones are emotions that we have to feel at times – vulnerable, humbled, awkward. Those are emotions that help us grow. Do you ever feel angry that someone is praying for you? Upset? Distressed? Annoyed? Irritated?
Hopefully not, because prayer, especially when you pray for someone or they are praying for you, is an act of giving. Prayer is a gift. Those same emotions that you feel when you ask for someone to pray for you are probably the same emotions you have when someone asks what you want for your birthday, or tells you they are going to buy you something special and wants to know what they can give you. Those same emotions that you feel when someone prays for you are the same emotions that you feel when you receive a gift. Comforted, vulnerable, grateful, honored, humbled, awkward, appreciative, like someone really cares. Who has not received a gift, especially an unexpected gift and not felt those emotions or something similar?
But it is awkward to be the object of a prayer because it means we are not in control. We are not the ones praying, asking God for something, nor are we the ones who are able to answer that prayer. We are just people who have been given the privilege to overhear this conversation with God. We are humbled that people would take time to be concerned about us. We are vulnerable, because what if they ask God for something that we do not want? We are honored because God is taking the time to be concerned about us even if we do not feel worthy of God’s time. But we are worthy! Because not only does God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit listens to our personal prayers and prayers about us, but also because they are praying for us.
Jesus is praying for us in today’s gospel. He is praying not only for the disciples but for all who will believe in him because of the disciples and their witness about Jesus. That includes us!
Jesus, the person who many of our prayers are addressed to, is praying for us. He is asking that we can all be of one heart and mind together with each other but also with him and God. He is praying that our actions might cause others to believe in him. He is praying that we might have the same glory that he himself have received. He is praying that we might see Jesus’ glory and splendor, and know that we are loved children of God.
What an awesome prayer! What humbling prayer! And yet while this prayer comforts it also makes us vulnerable, while it makes us feel grateful and honored, isn’t it also a little awkward that Jesus is praying for us? Can you believe that God the Father and God the Son take the time discuss us?
But we are discussed, we are prayed for! Yes once a year on your birthday we, as a congregation, pray for you by name and probably others pray for you then as well. But each week there is at least one prayer petition for the church, the people of God, and that includes us! Look at the prayer of the day for today: O God, form the minds of your faithful people (that’s us!) into your one will. Make us (ohh there is a word in first person plural) love what you command and desire what you promise, that amid all the changes of this world (don’t we all have changes going on in our lives right now that we could use a prayer about) our (there is another key word) hearts may be fixed where true joy is found, your Son, Jesus Christ our (there is word again) Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
And then in the first petition during the prayers of intercession – tear down the walls that divide your church and make us one – we are praying for ourselves and others, which means that other people are praying for us!
The second petition – bring peace where there is war. Okay so
The third petition – all those who have been attacked, beaten or imprisoned. Yes that mean those who have been physically attacked but also those attacked mentally and verbally. And there are very few of us who do not fall in that category, so again people are praying for you!
Do you get it? Whether you ask for it our not, whether you realize it our not people are constantly praying for you! And I haven’t even gotten to the petition about renewing the downtrodden, energize the old, and instruct the young.
Whether you realize it or not, people are supporting you in prayer, in conversations with God. We are being embraced in kind words, wrapped in love, uplifted as those need.
We are comforted by prayer because the Holy Spirit is living in us, working in us when we hear those words about us. We are grateful when we are prayed for because we know there are so many other people who need prayers but yet we too are in need. We are appreciative of prayers because sometimes we just don’t have the right words. And we are worthy to be the subject of prayers for even Christ prayed for us.
We are children of God, brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, we are the church, a community of fellow believers and sometimes we need to realize that we can rely on those around us. When we ask for prayers we are not needy or vulnerable because Christ already became needy and vulnerable for us when he died on the cross. Christ already acted in the most humble way possible, by taking on our sins. So when we ask for prayers, and when we pray for others, we are become Christ in this world.
So now I ask, are there any additional prayer request? Both those of concern and celebration.
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