“I ask not only on behalf of these but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them.” John 17:20-26
Questions for Reflection:
- With this story guiding your heart and mind to the heart and mind of Christ, what does it share with you about who Christ is (attributes, actions and promises)?
- With this story guiding your heart and mind to the heart and mind of Christ, what does it share with you about who you are or could be (identify sins or virtues)?
- With this story guiding your heart and mind to the heart and mind of Christ, what does it prompt you to confess?
- With this story guiding your heart and mind to the heart and mind of Christ, how does it prompt you to pray (for yourself and for others)?
Prayer for Week 5 of Lent:
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and desires of your people: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Invitation to Fasting:
In a world shaped by how quickly we consume and how efficiently we work, fasting is an intentional practice of delayed gratification. Jesus himself consistently modeled the ability to rely on the will of the Father over immediate comfort. The discipline of choosing discomfort over impulse is an active step toward reordering our desires more toward the heart of God. We start to move from love of self preservation to a greater love of openness and reliance on God. We don’t fast to punish ourselves, but rather to step into the slow and careful work of turning to God again and again in faith. Trusting in provision rather than grasping for control. We hope you’ll invite God to walk alongside you this week in this slow and deliberate work of transformative delayed gratification.
