Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. ” The context of our verse for today is the raising of Lazarus from the dead. We know that Mary and Martha of Bethany—and their brother Lazarus—were very close friends of Jesus. And we know that He loved them deeply. Thus, when Lazarus died (and the faith-filled sisters called for their Lord and friend to come), upon His arrival, "Jesus wept" (John 11:35). This gives us a sense of the tenderness of the moment.
Remarkably, Jesus, the Son of God—the second Person of the Holy Trinity or Godhead—prayed. Just before He sought to perform a miracle, He prayed to His Father in Heaven, petitioning God for His intervention and for the fulfillment of the prayer of the Father's Only Begotten. Jesus expressed gratitude in His prayer, evidences His dependence upon His Heavenly Father in His prayer, and sets an example for you and me.
If Christ prayed, being perfect, how much more do we need prayer in our lives? If Jesus prayed before He sought to bless someone else, how much more should we seek the Father's intervention as we minister to and help others? If Jesus expressed gratitude in His prayer, how much more should we fill our personal prayers with expressions of gratitude (even more than requests for help or blessings— Matthew 6:8). Luke informs us that the disciples asked Jesus to "teach them to pray." (Luke 11:1) Well, in John 11:41, Jesus does just that; and we would do well to follow His example.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. ” In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking to the Israelites at a time of great despair. They were exiled, living in Babylon, far from their homeland. Jeremiah's words were meant to offer hope and assurance during this period of upheaval. His message was not just for their immediate comfort but also to give them a perspective of a hopeful future planned by God.
This passage in Jeremiah speaks directly to the heart of encouragement, especially in the face of uncertainty and difficulty. It's a reminder that even when our current circumstances seem bleak or disheartening, there is a broader plan for good, for hope, and for a future. This can be particularly resonant for us when we face our own periods of doubt or when our path seems unclear. It's a call to trust in a greater plan that we might not fully understand yet.
