“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Hebrews 13 v 20-21
As we come to the end of this series on praying for one another, the closing words of Hebrews offer a beautiful final blessing.
There is something wonderfully reassuring about this prayer. The writer is nearing the end of his letter and leaves his readers not with a list of things they must do, but with a reminder of what God will do. He points them to the God of peace, the God who raised Jesus from the dead, the God who is still at work among his people.
Equipped with everything we need
Over these past weeks we have seen many ways in which the Bible teaches us to pray for one another. We have prayed for wisdom, love, faithfulness, strength, hope, and spiritual growth. Yet this prayer gathers all those things together in one simple request: that God would equip us with everything we need to live faithfully and fearlessly for him.
That is a wonderful prayer to pray for our church family. We do not all face the same challenges. Some carry burdens of illness or grief. Others wrestle with difficult decisions, family concerns, loneliness, or uncertainty about the future. Some feel full of energy and purpose; others feel weary and stretched. But whatever situation we find ourselves in, God knows exactly what we need. And this prayer reminds us that he is more than able to provide it. After all, didn’t he raise the crucified Christ from the dead!
God working in us what is pleasing to him
Perhaps the most encouraging phrase of all is that God is “working in us what is pleasing to him”. The Christian life is not simply about our efforts to become better disciples. It begins with God’s grace and continues by God’s grace. The Lord who calls us is the Lord who works within us. Even when we cannot see much progress in ourselves, even when we feel weak or inadequate, the Good Shepherd has not given up on us. He is gently shaping us, day by day, into the likeness of Christ.
Praying with confidence and hope
As we pray for one another, then, we can do so with confidence and hope. We are not asking a distant God to take notice of his people. We are praying to the God who loved us enough to send his Son, who raised him from the dead, and who promises never to leave his flock. He knows us by name, walks beside us through every season of life, and continues his good work in us.
May this be our prayer for one another in the weeks and months ahead: that our gracious God would equip each member of this church family with everything needed to serve him faithfully, and that he would continue to work within us, until the day when we see our great Shepherd face to face.
Prayer
God of peace,
thank you for sending Jesus, our great Shepherd,
who laid down his life for us and was raised in glory.
Equip each one of us with everything we need to do your will.
In times of joy and in times of struggle, keep shaping us by your Spirit.
Strengthen our faith, deepen our love for one another,
and help us to trust your work in our lives.
May all that we do bring glory to Jesus Christ, now and for ever.
Amen.
Blessings,
Revd. Rob.
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