Through Him We Know the Father

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2011 7:07 pm Post subject: Through Him We Know the Father

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount that is called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, within the journey of a mile. And when they came in, they went up into an upper room, where abode Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Jude the brother of James. All these were persevering with one mind in prayer with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. (Acts 1:12-14)

Though Jesus was passed to death, death did not conquer Him, rather He conquered death. Though the people of this world felt Him depart, He has not left us orphaned, but has left us with the Holy Spirit, through which He is always with us. Through prayer, we invite the Holy Spirit into our hearts. As we invite the Holy Spirit, so too do we invite Jesus. As we invite Jesus, so too do we invite God the Father for Jesus told us, through the Son, we will know the Father, for as He is in the Father, the Father is in Him. As He is in us, so too is the Father.

Our blessing is that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we come to know the Son and the Father, but we are also told, we cannot know the Father if we do not know the Son. In prayer, we worship and glorify Him, for He is the source of all love and through His love we have been given the great hope that we may be forgiven of our sins so that we too may join in the kingdom of heaven.

But if you partake of the sufferings of Christ, rejoice that when his glory shall be revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you be reproached for the name of Christ, you shall be blessed: for that which is of the honor, glory, and power of God, and that which is his Spirit, rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a railer, or a coveter of the things of other men. But if as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. (1 Peter 4:13-16)

We might be tempted to ask, â€œIf God is with us, then, why do we face suffering?â€ We pray for our deliverance from evil. We pray for our deliverance from violence. We pray for our deliverance from suffering, why then, are those prayers not answered? When we ask such a question, we are only thinking in terms of the immediate moment. We expect the answer on our terms, but we do not see the answer of God that whatever we face in this moment is so that the greater good may come. We do not know the day or the hour when our prayers will be answered, but He answers all which is asked of Him.

What value is our faith if it will not stand to challenge? What depth is our faith if we are not willing to face the persecutor with resolve? What will the unbeliever see if we do not stand in faith, if we do not defend our love of the Lord? When we face evil, when we face the persecutor; it is through the depths of our suffering that we demonstrate our love of the Lord. As we demonstrate our strength through our suffering, we demonstrate the strength of our God and sow doubt in the evil doer.

Through what we do to bring the greater good, our prayers of salvation are answered, for what we suffer for a short time will be rewarded with everlasting love in the kingdom of heaven. We, then, should feel blessed if we must suffer, for as He suffered for us, we may return our love in what we do in His name. What we do as an example of the Lord glorifies Him, but we must be aware that what we do in shame will only give energy to the persecutor; therefore, we should seek to free ourselves of sin and immerse ourselves in the Word and His Love. Through prayer, we may ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that when we are weak, through Him, we shall receive strength and courage to stand in faith.

These things Jesus spoke, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said: Father, the hour is come, glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. As you have given him power over all flesh, that he may give eternal life to all whom you have given him. Now this is eternal life: That they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have glorified you on the earth; I have finished the work which you gave me to do. And now glorify me, O Father, with yourself, with the glory which I had, before the world was, with you.

I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me out of the world. Yours they were, and to me you gave them; and they have kept your word. Now they have known, that all things which you have given me, are from you: Because the words which you gave me, I have given to them; and they have received them, and have known in very deed that I came out from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them whom you have given me: because they are yours: And all my things are yours, and yours are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am not in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name whom you have given me; that they may be one, as we also are. (John 17:1-11)

Blessed are we that we might be able to invite the Holy Spirit, the Son and the Father into our hearts, for as we do, we become one within the body of Christ, one in honor of the Father, one blessed with the power of the Holy Spirit. If all there was is what we see here before us, to what purpose do we find, then, in our short span of years? If there is nothing greater, then, to what hope do we spend our days?

Blessed are we that we have been sent the Word of the Lord, for through it comes great joy and hope. As the Father was revealed to us through the Son, we see beyond what is of this world so that we may prepare ourselves here for the next. Through the love given to us through the Holy Spirit, we are able to feel a portion of the heaven which awaits us. Through prayer, we should give thanks and praise as to what has been revealed to us and what we will join through our belief in the Son and the sacrifice He made for us upon the cross.

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier