Jesus' prayer in John 17 is not your typical Father's Day Bible passage. It's a prayer of Jesus for himself, his disciples, and all believers as he approached his crucifixion. Following my last post about praying women, let's turn to men.

In this amazing prayer of our Lord Jesus, I see a model. Following the verbs and Jesus' direct requests of the Heavenly Father, here are six requests every Christ following father can pray for his family.

Request #1: May my family Glorify God

Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said: Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You.—John 17:1 

Start at the very beginning. It's a very good place to start. Start with God. Every one of your prayers should begin with an acknowledgement of God such as, "Father in Heaven" or "Dear God," and even the content of your prayer for your family starts with God. "God, would you grant that I and my family could bring you glory in everything we do." And name some ways. Offer specifics.

Request #2: May my family Grow in Knowledge

This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent — Jesus Christ.—John 17:3

This idea of knowing God is constant and continuous. You are praying your children and family members will establish and continually grow in a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Your prayer is that they would abound more and more in the love of Jesus that transforms them. Talk to them Model for them. Teach them.

Request #3: May my family Guard the Faith

I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by Your name that You have given Me, so that they may be one as We are one.—John 17:11

This a prayer of protection. What kind of protection? Our clue is in the end of the veres where Jesus prays "so that they may be one." In my experience it not so much the offense of others—we're all sinners and people will hurt me—but my own attitudes in reaction to others that brings division. My unforgiveness, if unconfessed, will grow into bitterness and worse. Pray humility and grace for your family; protection from their own attitudes that may divide and hinder their faith and others. Be humble. Be forgiving.

Request #4: May my family Get Set Apart 

Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.—John 17:17

Be holy as I am holy, God calls. This is a request that our families would be sanctified, holy, set apart. This is a tough one in the media rich, time crunched, privacy invasive world we live in, but it is totally possible. Turn off the TV. Put down the electronic device or magazine. And read your Bible. Pray that your family members, especially your kids, will learn a life-long habit of Bible engagement. And model it. It will change their life. And yours.

Request #5: May my family Gather Together 

I am in them and You are in Me. May they be made completely one, so the world may know You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.—John 17:23

This is a prayer that we would be closer to God and closer to one another. It's about unity. It's rooted in the requests that precede it. Being completely one with folks so different than us seems like such an impossibility until you have felt it in worship, in service, and in fellowship with one another. And there is a bonus: The world will know Jesus through our love for one another. Spend the time. Give your life. Gather together. Love one another.

Request #6: May my family Gain Eternity

Father, I desire those You have given Me to be with Me where I am. Then they will see My glory, which You have given Me because You loved Me before the world’s foundation.—John 17:24

To be where Jesus is—that's Heaven. Jesus has gone to prepare a place there for all who have committed their lives to him to be with him forever. That's our hope. That's our goal. But we've got work to do in serving him and loving others while we are here. As he prays above—and you know his words are faithful and true—the love of our families and Christ followers for one another will lead others to trust him too.

So, Dad, I know you got tons to pray about. Don't mean to add too much. I pray these requests serve as inspiration for you to pray like Jesus. Glorify, grow, guard, get, gather, and gain. For your family. For the Lord.

Be a Praying Dad!

Having a vision of a Macedonian begging him to come over and help us, Paul and his missionary band set out across the sea. Notice the powerful influence of women in prayer and one woman’s response.

11 Then, setting sail from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, a Roman colony, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia. We stayed in that city for a number of days. 13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there. 14 A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was spoken by Paul. 15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.—Acts 16:11-15

Many women in prayer opened the way for the Gospel. These ladies were meeting before Paula and Company even had the vision. God was at work within them, before he even called Paul. We can learn from both parties. From Paul: Be responsive to the Holy Spirit’s leading even if it comes in an unconventional way. From the women of Philippi: Be faithful in prayer; God will answer.  

How is my faith?

How is my prayer life?

One women in worship responded to the Gospel. Lydia is described as worshipper of God, yet she did not yet have saving faith through Jesus Christ. In her faithful worship, God revealed Himself to her. We learn God calls all people to Himself. We learn to persist in prayer. 

How consistently do I pray?

How am I open to God through worship?

That woman of influence shared the Gospel. Lydia, apparently, when straight home and shared her new, saving faith in Jesus with her whole household. The Greek word is oikos, that means family, friends, employees—her sphere of influence. 

Who is my oikos?

How am I sharing Jesus with them? 

That woman of hospitality cared for the Gospel messengers. Not only did Lydia share her faith with her entire household, she shared all that she had in her household with Paul’s missionary band. She exercised hospitality.  As a brand new Christian, she extended Christian love. 

Where can I be more gracious?

Who can I show hospitality to?

Women change the world. Prayerful, worshipful, influential, hospitable. Powerful. These Philippian women in general and Lydia in specific loved God and others. Powerful.

At my first youth rallies I met Aaron Maselwane (pictured here). Yes, the name helped, but there it more to it. Gregarious, talented, intelligent and articulate, Aaron is a leader by nature. Just over ten years ago he came to the states in a singing group. My family had the pleasure of hosting him then. And since the explosion of Facebook we've reconnected therein. Enduring friendships with brothers in Christ bring such joy.

When I needed to recall the lyrics of South African Gospel song for a writing project this week, I thought, "I'll message Aaron."

Yesterday afternoon he wrote back. I noticed he was online right then and wrote, "Hey, you're online now!" He shot back, "Yes I am. We could even Skype for posterity of the music." So we did.

Within minutes we were connected on Skype. Face-to-face, over two decades since first meeting, over 9000 miles, over seven time zones. What a joy not only to hear my friend but to see him as well! (And for free. Thank you, Skype.)

Aaron and I both observed the wonder of it. All the time and space between us and here we were. He on his desktop PC outside Joburg. Me on my MacBook Pro in Nebraska. We talked about life, work, friends, and family. We squeezed a lot in until we lost connection. He had warned that might happen on his end. It was a joy! And throughout it it we expressed the wonder of it.

The wonder of technology. The wonder of friendship. The wonder of unity in Christ. The wonder of it all.

It got me to thinking. We both needed computers and high speed internet to have that conversation and it worked best when we were both awake given the time difference. Yet I can pray anytime, anywhere, about anything. No special equipment. No time difference. No concern for losing the connection on the other end. Our God is faithful. He calls us to pray. Make the connection. Live in the wonder of it.

And, by the way, the reason I couldn't remember the verses to that song: There are none. Maybe I'm not so old after all...

We are lonely people. We live within proximity but without presence. We have relationships without personal contact. We exercise familiarity without true feelings. 

Due to fear. Or busyness. Or pride. Or selfishness. Or pain. Or past. Or depression. Or psychosis. We live alone in a world of people. We live not truly knowing or being known.

We are naturally self-centered and tend to view the world through the filter of our own lives. But we were not designed to be isolated. God created us for relationship. With him and with others. God calls us to live for him and for others.

1 Peter 3:8-12 shows us how to overcome isolation. 

Be selfless—verse 8 says, “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” What characteristics of selflessness are listed here? Exercising them will break isolation as you do good to others. 

Be forgiving—verse 9 states, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” Unforgiveness leads to bitterness, anger, enmity, and hatred. Forgiveness restores unity and breaks isolation. 

Be self-controlled—verse 10 quotes, “For, ‘Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.’” How do you  control your speech? You might be able to control it sometimes by yourself, but God can change your heart and your speech will follow.

Be peace-making—verse 11 instructs, “They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.” Where does true peace comes from? Peace overcomes isolation; it reconnects you with God and people. 

Be righteous—verse 12 reminds, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Where does my righteousness come from? Righteousness restores unity. It overcomes isolation.

If you are wondering how you become any of the five "be" statements above, then seek God first. Break your isolation from him. Through his love, by the Holy Spirit, he will work this character qualities within you.

Then put down your electronic device. Step away. Go look someone in the eye. And have a real conversation.

The Book of Proverbs is loaded with down-to-earth, common-sense, sage advice for every day living. You want to live better: read a chapter a day; live by what you read. Better life guaranteed.

If you are not a regular Bible reader—it makes all the difference in your perspective & processing of life—then you can start simple. Read one chapter of Proverbs a day. Chapter number corresponding to the day of the month.

Don’t worry if you get behind. Just keep it simple & read that day. 

Don’t worry about the months with less than 31 days. Just read extra or wait until the next month.

Don’t worry that I’m going to let you off the hook. Just read a chapter a day. It’s that easy. 

Let me share a little wisdom on interpersonal communication to whet your appetite.

Listen and keep. Do I listen to my parents? No matter my age. Proverbs 1:8—Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

Hold it. When should I speak less? Rather be though a fool... you know the cliche. Proverbs 10:19—Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues. 

Fruity lips. What fruit am I growing? Better than the striped gum. Proverbs 12:14—From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward.

Wrath away. How gentle am I? Pot stirrers need not apply. Proverbs 15:1—A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 

On the lips. Am I always honest? Pucker up. Proverbs 24:26—An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips. 

Lying and honesty, speaking or holding back, listening and wisdom. They are all in there. These are just five of hundreds of proverbs on interpersonal communication alone. Then there are all the other topics of wisdom or foolishness and on and on. You gotta read it to find out.

Chapter a day.

Change your life.

I am who I am as a Christ-follower and pastor due to the Sisterhood of the Great Commandment. This Great Commandment love humbles and honors all who consider how much they have received. Meet a few Sisters whose love has influenced this pastor.

As a scrawny seven-year-old, I remember sitting on the white bench in our narrow Sunday School room, listening to Miss Nita explain the “gos-pill.” If only I could take the gos-pill, then I would go to Heaven when I died. Church seemed longer that Sunday waiting to talk to my parents. After worship, I raced to the car rather than racing around the church.  When my parents asked the standard Sunday question, “What did you learn in Sunday School today?” I had a burning question for them: “Do you have a gos-pill so I can take it and go to Heaven when I die?”

Soon my parents discerned what we know as adults: The Gospel can be accepted as simply as a pill can be taken. Miss Nita’s gos-pill opened my heart. My parents explained the Gospel that day and I trusted Christ.  

I wonder how many of you teach antsy-pants little boys? Do you wonder if you are making a difference? Do you picture their future with Christ?

Thank you, Miss Nita, and each Sister of the Great Commandment serving in Sunday School and nursery.

As a bed-headed, grumbly-tummy teenager I would often make my way to the kitchen to break the fast well before the breakfast hour. Each of these mornings, there in the living room, quiet hearted, Bible opened, and head bowed in prayer or study was my Momma. Morning after morning. Year after year. 

I heard about a “quiet time” at my first youth camp, but had already seen it in action for years through my Momma’s example. I knew its effect too as my Momma stood by me through the sometimes stormy teenage years. Always patient. Always willing to listen.  A disciple of Jesus, not only in her disciplined study, but more so in her loving application.

Sisters, I know you may be tired. Being a mother is tough. Single moms have the toughest job on earth. Yet, if it were not for you Moms, the world would stop spinning.  We can not make it without your loving sacrifice. Can you make it without daily recounting the sacrificial the love of Christ?

Thank you, Momma, and every Sister following Jesus as examples to others within the Great Commandment.

Crusty was Howard. Elegant was Maxie. He was a hard-working, thick-handed farmer with a dirty pick-up. She was a classy, artist who drove a spotless luxury car whose home was straight out of a decorator’s magazine. More than aesthetic beauty, however, was the welcoming hospitality within. 

They took in this collegiate preacher boy as needed. Their hospitality included a room so fancy I was near afraid to sleep, and a breakfast so big I’d need to put in a hard day’s work. 

One day I noticed a package slip as I peeked into my PO box. Cookies from home?  No, a mail order package. Nice pants and a handsome shirt. And a simple note, “Just because. Maxie.”

Don’t you just love to give the perfect gift? The unexpected? Does your giving mirror that of the Heavenly Father?

Thank you, Maxie, and each Sister who gives from a Great Commandment heart. 

A busy missions fair. A busy missionary nurse. Busy because she was taking blood pressures or because she was so charming? I said to my buddy, “I am going to get my blood pressure checked too.” Moments later her hands were on arm and my heart was aflutter. Months later she was my wife. 

Nearly fourteen years, three churches and three children later I can tell you story after story of the amazing, sacrificial love of my bride, Melanie. Tears welling now as some memories are too precious to share. Influenced by godly women herself, she has poured out her life for our family, our church family and friends. I am amazed by her.

Do you know that kind of motherly love? I pray you do. Have you experienced that kind of sacrifice? Maybe you have lived that love?

Thank you, Melanie, and every Sister who is a sacrificially loving Great Commandment wife. 

Further members of the Sisterhood who have served God by loving me as family, friends or within our church are Gran, Vicki, Cheryl, Dorothy, Karen, Barbara, Modena, Kay, Vi, Bea, Sarah, Kimberly, Sylvana, Cammy, Avis, Anita, Nancy, and Mary. God has used these dear Sisters have shaped the pastor’s heart within me.

Matthew 22:37-39 holds the motto of the Sisterhood of the Great Commandment. Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

It means love God and others with all you’ve got. You Sisters do this so well. Agape love is self-sacrificing love that puts others first. It is the amazing love God has uses to woo us and shape us.

And, Sisters, we would not be who we are without you. Your influence is immeasurable. Thank you for your loving service 

Long live the Sisterhood of the Great Commandment!

Note: Sisterhood of the Great Commandment was written on contract for the May 2011 HomeLife Magazine. Unfortuantely, it was never published there returning rights to me 90 days later. This is its first publication. I share it on Mother's Day 2013 as a thank you to those mentioned and all our dear sisters in Christ. Photo: Love this one of M, JM & me; October 2012; by the talented Myra McCracken.

When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.—Mark 15:20 NLT

Smart. Maybe too smart for their own good. Possessing strong opinions. Maybe they can not even fathom anyone with a contrary opinion. Possibly mean-spirited. Maybe too mean to engage others well consistently. People. Made in God’s image. Who Jesus died to rescue. People struggling under sin. In need of grace. People as all of us.

Somewhere along the way we’ve met someone like this. They engage Christ followers not so much in debate to exchange or learn, but for sport. Blinded by pride in their own fallible intelligence they mock our faith.

Somewhere along the way they grow tired of Jesus. They crucify Christ in their own minds seemingly forever dismissing him as a rational possibility for their lives. Scars left by some religious happenstance in their past or unmentioned fear from the unexplainable unknowns of a ubiquitous God. 

Whatever the reason, like the company of soldiers in Mark 15, they grow tired of Jesus. Tired of mocking. Tired of sport. They have other things to do. So they crucify Jesus. And move on with their lives.

Until they meet a Christlike Christ follower—one who lives Christ winsomely attractive, not deadly judgmental—and they are confronted as an honest observers with the reality that Jesus did rise again. Indeed, he lives in us. As much as they have crucified him in their minds and dismissed him for whatever self-justifying reason, we show him alive! 

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.—Galatians 2:20 NLT

May we be so much like Jesus that others grow tired of mocking. Not to crucify him. But to die to themselves.

Jesus: likable guy.

Kid’s loved him. Folks crushed close just to be near him. He was accused of having too much fun. He was the life of the party. He even brought life back to dead parties. Literally.

He rebelled against the status quo while making peace between us and God, our Great Judge. He called out sin while paying the price for it’s penalty. He enjoyed being among us only to be broken by us.

Jesus: what’s not to like? 

That depends. Do we like the Jesus who is? Or the Jesus who isn’t?

When we don’t like Jesus—most the time—it’s because we’ve got the wrong Jesus. The Jesus who isn’t.

That’s the Jesus who won't do what we want, how we want it, and when we want it.

That’s the Jesus who can't do what we want. It’d be sinful or just plain bad for us.

When Jesus isn't who we think or doesn't do what we want, we tend not to like him.

Who does that reveal more about? Jesus? Or us?

We tend to like the Jesus who isn’t. The Jesus who isn’t real, but is a god of our own creation. The Jesus we’ve fashioned, according to our own image or understanding. If only he’d perform as we like! But, of course, that’s the Jesus who isn’t.

How do we get to know the Jesus who is? Simple: read our Bible, lots, to be challenged and changed; pray, to be empty of self and full of him. Simple, yet not easy. That’s the Jesus who is.

Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead (John 11:43-44). The crowds, attracted by Jesus’ power, are more amazed than ever. The Sanhedrin, scared by Jesus’ authority, are more homicidal than ever. The crowds welcome Jesus as King. The Sanhedrin plot to kill him (John 11:53). They made plans to kill Lazarus as well. Too many people believing in Jesus because of him (John 12:10-11).

Jesus raises a man from the dead. The Sanhedrin want to put them both to death. 

Jesus exercises supernatural authority. The Sanhedrin want to protect their temporal authority. 

Now it’s what we know as Palm Sunday. Jesus has made his Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. The crowds may have seen him as the Messiah come to his people. We see him as the Savior come to all peoples.

John 12:19 records the frustrated words of some Pharisees, members of the Sanhedrin,

See, this is getting us nowhere.

Look how the whole world has gone after him!

The whole world has gone after him.

The whole world.

Every culture in the world, anthropology teaches, have some sort of God or gods. People everywhere—no matter their language or location—know somehow that there is life outside of this life, power beyond know power, and some creator/s that formed humanity and all the earth.

As Romans 1:19-20 says, “Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

Not all of of those peoples believe in Jesus. Not all of them have even heard his name. Yet all of them know there is someone or something else.

All except one. One group of people patently deny the existence of God: atheists.

It is a strange phenomenon, however, that there is only place in the whole world of billions of people you find atheists: among the highly educated.

Universities, whose very name come from Latin meaning “one truth” referring directly to biblical revelation, have redefined truth and made it relative. When truth is relative, when the Bible is not authoritative, and when you are adrift in the sea of humanism, you can explain away that which seems contrarian, doesn’t fit your worldview, or makes you uncomfortable.

The whole world may go after him—Jesus—but not you. You can deny him.

Too smart for your own good.

Too smart to know God.

When you squeeze a lemon, what comes out?

It's not a trick question. It's not a riddle. When you squeeze a lemon, what comes out?

Lemon juice.

So, when you get squeezed, what comes out of you?

When you are squeezed—rushed, hurried, worried, angered, depressed, despaired, tired, pressured, patronized, frustrated, frightened, mocked, teased, or fill in the blank unsettling emotion or event—what comes out of you?

What comes out is what is really inside you. Scary, isn't it?

I know we try to keep it together. And we do keep it together. Most of the the time. When things are easy or going our way. Or not too bad. Even when they are just a little stressful we can still keep it together. As adults, most of us are experienced at personal behavioral modification. We know when to keep it in. When to hold our tongues. When to censure ourselves. When others are around. Others we don't want to have a negative opinion of us. So we fake it. Until we get squeezed. Squeezed too much.

The squeeze expresses reality. Not our behavior modified apparently sanctified selves, but our real selves.

The squeeze exposes fallacy. We can't change ourselves. If we could have, we would have. But we can't. Not fully.

We don't need behavior modification, we need need heart transformation. Only Jesus can do that. Our surrender avails us to his strength. Our genuine transformation proclaims the truth of Easter. We revel in the reality of Easter all year round.

We'll still get squeezed. But we can be transformed. Through Christ.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you maydiscern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 ESV

We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 HCSB

Not behavior modification but heart transformation.

Let Jesus in. Be transformed.