Don’t Ignore The Fire Alarm

We’ve all been around that person that walks in a room and speaks with authority.

You know exactly who I’m talking about. You can say something and nobody will hear it, but then that person walks in and suddenly everyone listens.

If you were at church on Halloween weekend a few years ago, you may remember sitting in church at the 10AM service and suddenly hearing alarms sounding and lights flashing from our fire warning system. What you may not know is that a young hero pulled that alarm in our nursery. Well, by “young hero” I really mean a 5-year-old dressed up like a firefighter. When I heard that, I fell off my chair laughing. Can you blame the kid? He was just doing his job!

What I find really interesting about fire alarms is that often people just never listen to them. We’ve been through so many trainings and drills to where we automatically assume that, unless someone is screaming “fire” and running, it’s probably a false alarm.

We can get so conditioned to tune out important information because sometimes the medium of delivery is deemed unimportant.

In John chapter 17, we find Jesus praying with his disciples before he is betrayed. There are words we see in this prayer that hold so much power and breathe so much purpose into our lives. Words that I’m sure if you heard Jesus speak them directly to you, you would change the way you viewed yourself and the way you lived. The great news is that these actually are the words of Jesus, and they are for you.

Today I wanted to read this prayer that Jesus says over you. This isn’t my prayer; these aren’t my words. These are the magnificent, eternal, loving words of your Savior and friend, Jesus.

“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”
- John 17:16-19

Here’s what Jesus is praying over you today:

I know you’re facing pain, frustration and discomfort. But I also pray that God will keep you from the evil one. If you feel like you’re being beaten down, remember you are always safe because Jesus has prayed protection over you.

Jesus is praying that you are made holy, or sanctified with truth. That means that Jesus prays that you would have spiritual depth by surrounding yourself with God’s word, just like you’re doing now.

Jesus has sent you into the world. You’re not alone and aimless. You are protected and on mission. He will not leave you.

I love what Jesus says later…

“The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”
- John 17:22-23

Jesus is praying you experience the glory and love of God just as he does with his Father. We read about Jesus having amazing encounters with God the Father in scripture. This prayer is the way Jesus reminds you and I that we have that same access to the Father.

You may have heard that God’s word is truth that makes you holy. You may have heard that you are protected from evil and never alone. You’ve probably heard countless times how much God loves you and cares about you.

But what if for today, instead of remembering your friend, pastor, mom, or dad saying it, you remember that Jesus prayed it over you first. Jesus has always been with you, and he will always be for you.

DJ Brennan

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