Prayer Guide - April 15 - Empowering Joy Comes in Jesus' Presence

Read: John 20:11-23

¹⁹ On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” ²² And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Also, John 14:25-27

Consider:

We have sheltered ourselves away, sequestered away from everyone, out of concern of contracting coronavirus.  In 80 days, COVID19 has brought significant illness to over a half million people in the States and killed 22 thousand and so we keep our doors shut, our children at home and pray it doesn’t find us. 

The disciples find themselves also in hiding after Jesus’ crucifixion.  Concerned the Roman authorities would find them, and possibly kill them just like they did Jesus, was a frightful reality and so they kept their doors locked in hopes that no one would find them.  But we can never hide from Jesus; he always knows right where to find us and nothing can keep him from coming to us.  So Jesus did what no one expected, he showed up in the room with them. 

When Jesus comes to the disciples he brings a blessing, his peace.  The peace of Christ sets the fearful heart at rest and makes things right in the soul.  Jesus proved his identity as only he could, he showed them the scars that he bore for them.  His scars and his death that bought them forgiveness with the Father,  and his presence, there and alive with them produced an overwhelming joy in them.    Jesus told them this would be the case the last time he was with them in the upper room.

John 16:20  Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

As is often the case with Jesus, in the midst of their concerning circumstances, he tells them something completely unexpected, and what he tells them to do, he expects them to do.  He sends them out from their hiding and into the world with an empowered peace.  In the same way the Father sent him into the world, Jesus was now sending them out into the world.   The Father sent Jesus into the world with a message of redemption that reunited us to God and his kingdom, and now they were to carry on this same mission. 

This mission was never to be accomplished in their own strength or strategy but instead to be empowered by the Holy Spirit.  Like God who breathed the breath of life into the first man who was created in Gods image and called ‘good’, now Jesus breathes new life into the disciples as they live to bring God glory.  They are on the same mission of redemption, pointing people to the forgiveness that is found in Christ and the invitation to live in God’s kingdom. 

For us today, we may still need to stay in our homes, but presence of God’s Spirit and the mission of forgiveness is still  our call.  We can take this ‘unprecedented’ time to do the unprecedented work of forgiveness.  Ask God who you need to forgive, so that when we are able to move about freely you are truly able to move out in freedom.  Take time today to reach out to someone with who you have a broken relationship and begin the steps towards redemption. 

Prayer: Father, Thank you that you always know where and how to find me.  You came to redeem me from my sin and restore a right relationship between God and myself.  Thank you. 

·      Thank God that you have experienced his forgiveness.

·      Thank him that his presence brings you joy.

·      Thank him for his Spirit that empowers you to bring God’s redemption to others

·      Ask that while we are sheltering in our homes we might experience Jesus’ presence. 

·      Ask that his presence would be close to those struggling with coronavirus.

Father, Thank you that Jesus is always near to us.  Thank you that your presence brings us joy.  May I live today longing to bring your forgiveness to those I know and love.   Amen 

Meditate: John 16:20-22

²⁰ Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. ²¹ A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. ²² So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy