I Have Prayed For You (Weekly Devotions)

‘I Have Prayed for You’ is tucked into a text that is a significant peek into the prayer or intercessory ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is also a testimony of God’s love towards us.

The Request of Satan

The event recorded in this text occurs near the end of Jesus Christ’s ministry on earth. It is sandwiched in between the Last Supper (vv. 14-30) and the betrayal, arrest and trial of Jesus Christ (vv. 39-71). Here, Jesus reveals to the disciples that Satan had asked (demanded) to sift them as wheat. This is not surprising because Apostle Peter relates him to a roaring, prowling lion which perpetually, actively seeks (targets) someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8-9). This is the same thing that he did to Job of the Bible’s Old Testament (Job 1-2).

The sifting that this text is referring to is the process that Jewish women (especially the servants) applied to grains such as wheat to prepare the same for grinding into flour. They did this in order to separate the wheat from the impurities (seeds of weeds, chaff, dirt and pebbles) that remained after the threshing and winnowing processes respectively. And the remaining dust and pebbles that got mixed in the wheat when the same was picked from the threshing floor. In a nutshell, sifting ended up exposing the impurities that remained in the wheat.

The Prayer of Jesus

But Jesus counters Satan’s demand by praying (interceding) for Peter. He specifically prayed for Peter’s faith not to fail. Then He instructed him to strengthen his brothers (the disciples) when he turned back (repented).

Why is Jesus’ “I have prayed for you” important?

From this text, we notice that Satan asked to sift the disciples. There are no details in the text to further our understanding of the same. Therefore, we can conclude that, unlike in Job 1:6-12 where Satan asked to test Job based on God’s testimony of him, in Luke 22:31-32, it is Satan who requested God to allow him to sift the disciples. He had asked to pressure the disciples and especially Peter until impurity (regarding his life and faith) got exposed.

Satan’s goal is to devour you

The sole goal of Satan is to devour (1 Peter 5:8-9, John 10:10). He perpetually, actively targets all believers especially those that are leaders or have influence in the society, especially in the Church of Christ, to devour (sift) them. Remember, Jesus had declared that “Peter was the rock upon which He would build His church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18). Could this declaration have made him to become Satan’s target? Your guess is as good as mine. He became Satan’s high-priority target.

Nelson Mandela

In 1942, Mandela joined the African National Congress (ANC) party and fought against apartheid in South Africa. He became a target of the government and was arrested on multiple occasions for his anti-apartheid activism.

In 1962, Mandela was handed a life sentence, of which he served 27 years before release. He continued with activism while in prison, leading to the abolition of apartheid and his ascension to presidency in 1994.

You are Satan’s target

Therefore, all believers are Satan’s target. Church leaders are even higher targets (like Mandela). That is why Jesus’ prayer (intercessory) ministry is critical for you (especially in the uncertain times occasioned by COVID-19, which is a sifting in its own right for it has created fear). This is the prayer ministry that He started on earth, and continues with in heaven at the right hand of God the Father (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:23-25).

God is in control

Nothing can happen without God’s permission or sanctioning! Whether you believe it or not, this is a fact. God is Sovereign. He is the King, the ruler or the boss. He has the final authority or say on all matters. He’s in charge. It is God who calls the shots in the universe. Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it”. Therefore, it holds then that everything that happens in heaven or on earth is subject to God’s commands. Even the devil has to seek His permission (Job 1:6-12). This is comforting because it means that the devil is limited. He operates within God’s limits.

Things on earth and in your life don’t just happen randomly. Everything that happens is allowed and known by Him in advance. If we only grasp this truth and comprehend that fact, we will stop worrying about a lot of things because absolutely nothing happens without God’s permission. Therefore, God alone has the final say in our lives and the events of the world.

“I have prayed for you” is necessary

This is a necessary ministry for you. Don’t fool yourself, you need Jesus’ intercession. Don’t be like Peter who thought he could stand Satan’s sifting. This was pure pride or self-confidence (Romans 12:3). And in the end, he fell.
Jesus is all-caring and all-knowing (1 Corinthians 10:12). Just accept His intercessory ministry (which is specific) with regard to your life, leadership and destiny. It is also effectual as nobody is ever really ready for sifting. But Jesus will ready you for it. He will also get you through it and keep you after it (Jude 1:24-25).

“I have prayed that your faith may not fail”

Jesus prayed for Peter so that his faith would not fail. The real target of Satan was Peter’s faith. He wanted to bring out impurity in Peter’s faith.
Notice that Jesus did not ask God to spare Peter from being sifted. He asked that his faith would not fail even as he was being sifted. Notice also that Jesus doesn’t pray that Peter does not stumble and fall and sin. He knows he will stumble and fall and sin because Peter went on to deny Him three times.
Satan’s target is your faith. But because of Jesus’ intercession, your faith will come out pure because sifting is a kingdom process. He will not pray that we do not sin. But He will pray that we might hold on to the faith in the face of temptation and trial

“I have prayed for you” is for your brothers

The reality is that we are weak vessels. But the good thing is that these are the vessels God uses to “strengthen brothers”. God is very much interested in your post-sifting ministry which is anchored on repentance. Your sifting is meant to produce a “siftimony”. God always uses weak vessels for His purposes.

I call upon you to not only embrace, but thank and praise and worship the Lord Jesus for His High Priestly intercession for you. Thank Him that He will pray that God would keep you to the very end. Don’t depend on yourself in any sifting. Depend only on Him!

Prayer

Thank you Lord Jesus for your perpetual intercession ministry regarding our lives from the right hand of God in heaven. Praise be to You that even in these tough times, also known as sifting, You will get us through. Thank you for the surety to keep us to the end. I praise You and exalt Your Name. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

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