The Bible Column - The Prayer of Intercession

“I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.” John 17:6
“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:24
These Scriptures are but two of twenty-six of “the Prayer of Intercession” that the Lord Jesus prayed to the Father for all believers that His blood would rescue from sin. The setting of these Scriptures is just prior to the Lord’s death on Calvary’s Cross. The wonderful love of our Lord for us is clearly seen. The words, “they”, “them”, “those”, “mine”, and “these” are used many times in our Lord’s Prayer for us. In the first Scripture above, the Lord identifies “these” as those “out of the world”.
Throughout this prayer, our Lord’s petitions for us include:
1) That we would be kept from evil, 2) That we might have joy, 3) That we might be sanctified, 4) That we might be united in the Lord, and 5) That we might be glorified with the Lord in Heaven one day. What a wonderful prayer list the Lord had for each of us. Surely, He continues to intercede today as well.
Finally, please consider briefly the very last petition. It is given in the second Scripture above. Simply stated, the Lord asked the Father that each of us, who would believe, be with Him in Heaven one day… “That they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me.” Dear believer friend, be assured that after the days of this life, we will see the glory of the Lord in Heaven. Don’t give up hope..don’t fall under the load..don’t lose sight of this Heavenly hope. Live for the lord yourself, tell others about the Saviour and be ready for the day when you will see your Lord face to face. What a day that will be!
What a day that will be,
When my Jesus I shall see,
When I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace,
And He takes me by the hand,
And leads me to the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day, that will be!