Pray for Those You Empower

    Hello, this is Multiply a podcast to encourage Village Church Planters and leaders. I am Brad Snowden and today I would like to look at one aspect of the life of Jesus. The Lord had a distinct relationship with His disciples. He taught them, encouraged them, and empowered them to use what he had given them to fulfill the plans and purposes of the heavenly father. 

 The very fact of being a follower of Christ is humbling enough but then we hear a His prayer for us in John 17 it is even more humbling. Christ showed us a way that we should walk and his example not only for our own lives but also how we are to treat and respect, brothers, and sisters in Christ.

 In John 17 the very last moments of Christ’s life here on this earth we find his attitude full of prayer full of desire for our heavenly father to instill into us everything that he was. Jesus wanted for his twelve disciples and still wants for us today is to be empowered by His Holy Spirit-to be His witness. We are on this earth to encourage each other and pray for each other. We see over and over in John 17 Jesus praying for his disciples, knowing how they would be used for the kingdom of God after he was gone. He not only prayed for his disciples, but he prayed for those that would be affected by the good news in which they were going to preach and live out before them. Oh, if we could comprehend the power of praying for our disciples and the generations touched by those prayers. I wonder even in my own life, how many times I think of that generational impact. The disciples that the Lord has given me the privilege of helping, encouraging, and walking beside how many they would touch through the power of the Holy Spirit. Wow! When you think about it... generations, the older we get the more generations can be touched or at least that can be our prayer. Jesus prayed for his disciples. 

Oh, what a victory. His prayer was for all of us to be in one mind and one heart with Christ: One with our disciples as we share, encouraging + touching their lives and allowing God to shape them into being disciple-makers themselves and the multiplication goes on and on. It was Christ's heart in John 17 to pray for his disciples; what power comes in prayer, let us not shrink back from the privilege of praying for our disciples. Praying for one another praying that God would simply have his way. Even long after we are with Him and that example can continue to minister the good news of Jesus Christ. Oh, that we could have that heart, that we could be blessed in knowing that the Lord hears our prayers and our disciples are changed by them. What a blessing and what a privilege it is that Christ has given us this example in John 17 for fruitful ministry pouring into our disciples and it starts with prayer. 

This has been a word of encouragement for Village church planters. Lord bless you as you pray! for your disciples. Who will you share this with today?