The Greatest Prayer Ever Prayed
Have you ever been comforted in knowing someone is praying for you? Whether it be in moments of personal trial, tragedy, uncertainty, or in just your day to day struggles, did knowing that your name was being lifted up before God help calm your troubled heart? This was certainly the case for me and my sister as we were greatly comforted throughout our lives knowing our late mother was continually praying for us and our families.
But even more heartwarming than a parent’s prayer is knowing that Jesus, the One through whom all things were made (John 1:3), on the night he was betrayed, prayed for all those who would one day come to faith in Him. And this was not just a one-time prayer, for Scripture says Jesus lives today as our “advocate with the Father”, always interceding on behalf of all His followers . . .
When Jesus Got Infected
In this reflection, written at the beginning of Covid, pastor Josh Gritter ruminates on the encounter Jesus and His disciples had with a man infected with leprosy. Not only did this man’s condition mean he could not participate in worship or public gatherings, but he was required to live in isolation from his friends and family.
We can certainly relate to this man’s experience, as it’s similar to what many of us experienced during the Covid outbreak. We were subjected to lockdowns, forced to social distance, isolated and unable to attend school or gather in public meeting places, and even prevented from saying goodbye to loved ones . . .
How Old Were the Disciples?
Shortly after Jesus announced his public ministry he began to call His disciples. Have you ever really thought about the ages of these 12 disciples of Jesus? Based on depictions in movies and historical paintings we’ve been led to believe that the disciples were mostly older than Jesus, and we know Jesus was about age 30 (Luke 3:23) when he began his public ministry. Would it surprise you if the disciples were mostly teenagers? . . .