Week 23, Day 1: The Good Shepherd

Today’s Reading:  John 11:1-12:50

Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…

We do not often have the same connection to the concepts surrounding shepherding as a more rural society would have.  We talk about Psalm 23 from time to time and I think we see some of the concepts of what a shepherd does (leads to green pastures & quiet waters – provides needed food, guides through treacherous times, keeps watch over the sheep with his rod – fights against evil, anoints the sheep – medical care). 

 In chapter 10 Jesus states that He is the good shepherd.  He is the shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep.  Unlike someone who was just a hired hand, the good shepherd will stay and defend the sheep against all attacks.  Also the sheep become accustomed to the shepherd and know his voice.  They follow his voice wherever he leads them.  Jesus cares for His flock and watches over them with tender care.  We can trust where He leads us and heed His voice.  We should not follow after another’s voice because we know that we follow the good shepherd, others only seek to do us harm.  This shepherd will not abandon us nor forsake us during troublesome times.

In Psalm 23 there is the concept of anointing the head with oil.  This is a picture of the shepherd giving the care and attention that helps the sheep prosper and be healthy.  The concept of the shepherd’s care is seen in his watchfulness.  The shepherd keeps watch over the flock, attentive to their welfare.  If a sheep wonders off He goes to search for it (Luke 15:4).  Let us never forget this image of our guardian, our leader, our defender, our rescuer and our way to abundant life (10:10). 

1 Peter 2:25  “For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”

Learning to Pray…

In Luke chapter 11, we see the disciples come to Jesus and ask Him to teach them to pray.  There are many things that we can learn from this account, and it’s parallels in the other gospels.  I just want to make a couple of observations about this.

First, the disciples recognized the need to learn to pray.  Prayer, surely, was not a foreign concept to them.  They had all been “good Jews” and as such surely they would have had some concept about prayer.  However, they saw something in Jesus’ prayer life that told them they needed further instruction in this act of service.  Perhaps their prayers had become the “vain repetitions” that Jesus condemned elsewhere.  Whatever their motivation, they had determined that they needed to learn more about prayer from Jesus.

Prayer is not a natural thing.  Consider that when we pray, we are talking to All Mighty God.  What a blessing that is.  But, it should also, in many ways, be intimidating.  We need to learn to do it right, so that we might show the proper reverence, the proper respect to God when we pray.  In the instructions that were given by Jesus, He showed His disciples (and us by extension) the method to pray to God in an acceptable method.  We should not be so presumptuous as to think that we can address God any way that we want to.  We need to address Him as He desires, and that is what Jesus shows us!

Secondly, through this “model prayer,” Jesus gives us some idea about the things that we can and should pray for.  Realize that He was not addressing every single thing that we can pray for, but rather giving us an idea of how, in general, to pray.  He certainly wasn’t giving a prayer to be recited mindlessly throughout all generations as this prayer is often used.  There are a few things that we see that can certainly be used as we speak to our Father in prayer today as well:

• Hallowed be Your Name. When we pray, we should show proper respect to our Father.  We should never speak to God as we would “one of the boys.”  We need to speak with reverence, and address Him with the honor that is due to Him.  It is hard to fathom how anyone could have the blessing of going to God in prayer bestowed upon Him, and then speak with disrespect!
• Your kingdom come. Of course, we understand that the Kingdom of God has already come.  We do not pray for its inception, but we can certainly pray for its success.  We should pray for the Kingdom of God, that it might grow, and also that we might be active and beneficial in that Kingdom!
• Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In heaven, God’s will is followed without exception.  What a wonderful prayer, that things would be done on earth the same as they are done in heaven.  Of course, the application is more difficult than the prayer.  If we are going to pray for such a thing as this, we have to do our part in the implementation!  How can I pray for the will of God to be done on earth, and then not do it myself?
• Give us this day our daily bread. Do we really realize, and appreciate the fact every thing we have comes from the hand of God?  He has blessed us so abundantly!  Often we become self centered, thinking that we provide things for ourselves.  But, God has promised to give us all that we need, and He goes way beyond that, giving us blessings beyond measure.  James 1:17 tells us that “every good and every perfect gift is from above…”
• Forgive us our sins for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Asking for forgiveness of sins is a common part of nearly every prayer.  And it should be!  We realize that we are not perfect, and we fall short of what God expects us to be.  We must ask Him for forgiveness in those times of faltering.  But, also notice that Jesus connected our forgiveness with the forgiveness that we offer to others.  In this account, He states that we forgive others.  God will not forgive us if we are unwilling to forgive those who might do us wrong.  How many people will be lost because they are unwilling to heed this warning?
• And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. God is on our side, and it is important for us to not only know that, but acknowledge it.  He will help us, making sure that we will not have to face anything that is beyond our abilities to overcome (1 Corinthians 10:13).  He can deliver us from the evil one, but it requires that we turn fully to Him, and His revealed word.  If we listen, He will indeed save, He will indeed deliver us from Satan.

Prayer is certainly one of the greatest blessings that God has given to His children.  He has granted us the ability to “come boldly before the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16).  But, when we approach Him, it must be with the right attitude, and we must pray for the types of things that God allows.  We could spend much more time examining various scriptures that address prayer more fully.  But, for now, realize that Jesus teaches us how to approach God in prayer.  Use this blessing often, and you will have a much stronger relationship with God, and will be much stronger as child of His!