Episode 120: John 17:17
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Dear friends, welcome to Peace Prayers. My name is Juli, the creator and host of the podcast, and I would love to be able to spend some time with you today. Our goal is to take a few moments and dive deep into God’s word before meditating on it ourselves. I’ll read a scripture from the Bible, and then pray it over our lives. Please join me in the prayer. Invite a friend to listen in and let’s begin our day with God’s peace. I am so excited to get started; thank you for joining me today.
My friends, we are entering Season Seven of Peace Prayers.
It’s been a little while since we’ve prayed together and I’ve missed you all. A lot has been happening outside the podcast as I moved states and wrote my next book. I had some technical issues that kept me from starting sooner, but I’m ready to get back to interacting with you and hope you are as well.
Our format is going to be similar, with new episodes releasing on Wednesday, but I am going to be releasing every two weeks instead of every week. I’m also planning a shorter season for you. For now, settle back, close your eyes, breath in deep, and let’s share in God’s peace together.
You’re listening to Episode 120 and today’s verse is John 17:17.
Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.
Let’s pray together.
God, we need truth in these dark days. They are days full of brokenness and deceit. People believe whatever makes them feel better. It’s so easy to fall into lies when everyone has a different point and it’s all being shouted at us from every direction. Confusion abounds and our enemy takes full advantage of that. He longs to see us weak and with blinders on our eyes.
But, God, You have proclaimed that the truth will set us free. That when we are free, we are free indeed. And You have proclaimed that Your Word is truth. The only truth. The only way. The only life. For Your Word is Jesus. And Jesus is embodied by the Holy Bible.
Come to us then, LORD. Show us the path forward. Help us to be cleansed and grown by the truth that we see in the pages of our Bibles, revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. Help us to seek out that truth, with discerning hearts and minds, not letting any of our enemy’s lies penetrate the shield of faith we take up daily. May we never shrink from its boldness, nor attempt to cherry-pick for ourselves the parts that we like while discarding the rest. Help us to understand the eternal meaning in all contexts, historical, cultural, spiritual, and personal.
May we know the Word, Father. Help us to hunger and thirst for it, for the righteousness it contains within. Help us to spend time devouring it for ourselves, discussing it with each other, and pondering its beauty and revelation. Help us to never place it on the shelf as a holy relic, but to embrace it as an every-day necessity for the growth and health of our souls. Let us know it so well, LORD, that we can recite it, we can know when it’s being used incorrectly, and we can tell if anyone tries to alter it. Make us noble Bereans.
Help us, Holy Spirit, to use it in our every day lives. Let it be the catalyst for conversation, the means by which we minister grace, and the balm in our hands for wounded hearts. Let us never use it as a weapon, except against our enemy, and then may our aim be true and mighty. We need Your discernment and recall so that the Word is fresh in our hearts and minds and that when it is needed, we have it at the ready.
And, Jesus, though we don’t need to defend Your reputation, help us to be wise and godly and knowledgeable, showing not just by our actions, but by our words inspired by Your Word, the truth that we know. Our lives are governed by our response to that truth. And others can see it and know it as well. May we be living examples of integrity, a continual witness for all that Your Word represents. For all the glory and history and truth it embodies. Let it shape us, form us, transform us. We need it so. Help us to seek it out, being lovers of Your story.
I pray this in the true and revelatory name of Jesus. Amen.
That is the end of our collective prayer, but don’t forget that you can keep praying and meditating on this on your own. Thank you so much for joining me and I hope you have a peaceful rest of your day. I’d love to ask you a favor before we go and that is to please subscribe and leave a review for the podcast if you haven’t already. That is the best way to invite other people to join us in our prayers and it helps me more than you can know.
I also want to get to know each other better. Follow me over on Instagram where I’ve recently updated my handle to reflect my married name. It’s now thejulihernandez where you can DM me prayer requests or suggestions on verses you’d like me to pray on the podcast or just let me know what’s going on in your life. Another way to get in touch with what I’m up to is on my website at www.thejulihernandez.com. My website hosts a transcription of each prayer so that you can pray them whenever you like. You’ll also see monthly blog posts that detail my current writing projects and I can’t wait to engage with you on that. Let’s connect, but for now, Shalom.
