Did you know that Jesus prayed for you? 

In John 17 he prayed for his apostles. But then in verse 20 he said this: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message…” That means us!

A little while ago I went through and took note of all of the things Jesus prayed for. One was about joy. He prayed “that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves” (verse 13).

Isn’t this amazing? Jesus is literally on the verge of his torture and crucifixion… and he prays that his joy will be within us!

Remember that joy is different than happiness.  Happiness is more external. It is connected to what happens to us. But joy is different. It is that deep and abiding trust and confidence in the goodness, care, wisdom, and salvation of God no matter what. That’s what Jesus wants for us! 

I remember seeing a tractor backed up to a stump. A chain was wrapped around the stump and connected to the tractor hitch. The driver of the tractor was pulling and pulling, but that stump would not budge!

The roots went so far down that no John Deere or Massey Ferguson was going to be strong enough to remove it!

Like that stubborn stump, Jesus prays that his joy will be so deeply rooted within us, that nothing will be able to rip it from our souls.

Draw close to him. Know that God cares for you. Be confident that he is providing for you—and that provision is firm and trustworthy. And stride forward with a joy that no force on earth can rip from your soul.

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Notes:

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.