经文没有告诉我们，耶稣在步往客西马利园的途中，究竟在哪儿停下了脚步，为我们作出了这个祷告。即使在祷告的时候，祂仍然不忘劝勉和鼓励门徒，因此，祂没有故意走到一边祈祷，反而留在门徒身边，让他们听见祂怎样为他们祷告。在未来的岁月，门徒必然一次又一次地忆起这幅景象，而且，也必然为到神让他们永远记得这个祷告而向神感恩。

你曾否想过，基督如今在天上为我们祷告些甚么呢？如果你曾思想过这个问题的话，这章经文便可以帮助你明白，我们那位如今在天上的大祭司，究竟如何为我们祈求。请翻看及细读希伯来书七章25节。

耶稣一如往常地用「父啊」来开始祂的祷告。这是祂开始祷告的惯常方式，惟独一次例外──那就是当祂被钉在十架上的时候，祂痛苦地呼喊：「神啊，神啊，你为甚么离弃我？」

基督也是这样为我们祷告。每当我们遇到危难或犯罪跌倒时，祂总是祷告神说：「父啊，这个人是属于我们的，我们一定要帮助他，我们一定要赦免他。」我们的仇敌撒但喜欢在神面前不断地控诉我们；可是，基督却在父神面前不住地为我们代求。

留意第6节，看看基督如何为门徒说好话。基督从四方面来描述祂的门徒，你可以逐一列出来吗？乍听起来，你觉得福音书所描述的门徒，真是如基督所说的那个样子吗？他们真的遵守了父神的道吗？我们可能对此感到有点儿保留，然而，不要忘记，因着基督的代赎和代求，父神如今已不再把我们看作罪人了。在祂眼中，我们就像基督一样的完全。我们岂不深受激励吗？终有一天，当我们回到荣耀的天家，神就会使我们变得真正的完全。

让我们今天默想希伯来书四章14至16节。（14我们既然有一位已经升入高天尊荣的大祭司，就是神的儿子耶稣，便当持定所承认的道。15因我们的大祭司并非不能体恤我们的软弱，他也曾凡事受过试探，与我们一样，只是他没有犯罪。16所以我们只管坦然无惧地来到施恩的宝座前，为要得怜恤，蒙恩惠，作随时的帮助。）每当你祷告或遭遇试探的时候，都要切记，基督如今正为我们各人不住的祈求，就像祂昔日为门徒祷告一样。

Day 28

WHEN CHRIST PRAYED FOR US

John 17: 1 - 10

1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,

2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.

3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.

5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples

6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.

7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You.

8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.

9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.

10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.

Message

We are not told where it was that Jesus stopped on the way to Gethsemane and prayed this prayer. He was still trying to help and strengthen his disciples and in order to do so he prayed for them as they listened. In years to come, they would no doubt look back to this scene again and again and they would thank God for the memory of it.

Have you ever wondered what Christ is saying as he prays for us in heaven right now? If you have, this chapter will help you understand his work for us as our High Priest in heaven today. Also turn to Hebrews 7:25 and read the verse carefully.

Jesus Christ began this prayer as he always did, with the simple word - 'Father'. He began every prayer like that except for that one terrible cry from the cross when he said 'My God, why have you left me alone?'

He prays for us in the same way. When we are in need or when we have sinned he says, 'Father, that one belongs to us and we must help him, we must forgive him'. Remember we have an enemy, Satan, and he speaks against us to God but Christ speaks up for us before the Father.

Notice in verse 6 how wonderfully Jesus speaks about the disciples. Mark the four ways in which he describes them. Do you think it sounds like them, as we know the disciples from the stories in the gospels? It doesn't does it?But then our Father doesn't see us as sinners now. He sees us as perfect in Christ. Isn't that encouraging? And one day when we get home to glory, he will make us completely perfect as he sees us now.

Take for your meditation today these verses - Hebrews 4: 14 - 16. Turn to them and read them now. Think of them each time you pray and whenever you are tempted, pray, and remember Christ is praying for you now just as he prayed for his disciples long ago.