Prayers in the Bible

“so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)

I love the prayers that actually made it into the Bible. I think they are my favorite scriptures. They show the truest picture of the heart of the author and the heart of God. That is why I think my favorite passage is Jesus' very own prayer for all of us.

John 17:11-19 (New International Version)

11I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. 12While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17Sanctify^[a] them by the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

I mean, wow, to her Jesus talking to the Father and sharing His heart for us. Telling Him that He wants us to be unified (at peace), safe, powerful in His name, joyous, keepers of the Word, and set apart as something special. Just as Jesus is something special to God we are something special to Him. Sounds like a God who really loves and cares for us and thinks we are pretty great.

The world still hates us because they don't understand. We seem foolish to them, but He looks on us with love as brothers, sons, and servants. And apparently the evil one will still try and harm us since Jesus says we need protecting.

I don't claim to understand it all, but I have assurance in a risen savior who loves and cares about me. His very words are recorded to tell me so.