Let us go to the gospel of John, the 17th chapter, and look at a powerful prayer that Jesus prayed.
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, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And 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 have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. “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. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 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. (John 17:1-8 NKJV)
Here's the Son of God, before He was about to be crucified, having a beautiful and sweet time of intimate intercession with His Father.
He said to Him, "Father, glorify me that I might glorify You." "I've glorified You on the Earth." "I've finished the work which you've given me to do."
And then He said words that pretty much summed up his earthly assignment. Jesus said, "I have manifested Your name to the men you have given me out of the world."
The amplified bible says it this way.
I have manifested Your Name [I have revealed Your very Self, Your real Self] to the people whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, and You gave them to Me, and they have obeyed and kept Your word. Now [at last] they know and understand that all You have given Me belongs to You [is really and truly Yours].(John 17:6, 7 AMP)
When I read this recently, I began to cry and say, "God I'm so sorry. I want a heart like yours." Because, even with knowing that He was about to die, Jesus maintained the heart of one who found absolute pleasure in fulfilling the will of the Father.
It pleased Jesus to do the will of the Father.
Even when knowing that the will of the Father would mean a horrific death by crucifixion. Even with knowing it would cost Him everything.
When Jesus prayed this prayer, He was saying to the Father, "As I was on the Earth, the world saw you. Through my life, Father, You were revealed."
We must have that same burning desire. That the very name of the Father would be manifested to the world, through us. That we may spend our days consumed with a desire that the true and living God be revealed through our lives. May we have that same pure and holy passion.
As children of God, we are the ones He has anointed, empowered and is releasing into the world to manifest His name. Through your life poured out, someone will see the God who is love.
Some of you interact with people daily that He wants to manifest His name to. On our jobs. For example, the co-worker that just went through a devastating divorce needs the name Jehovah-Shalaom, The Lord our Peace, manifested to them. He wants to use you to bless that single mom, who is struggling to make ends meets. And, as He blesses her through you, she personally sees and experiences Jehovah-Jireh, The Lord Who Provides.
We must become absolutely consumed with manifesting the name of the Father in the Earth. His name is His character, His person, His attributes, all that He Is. What He's done and what He does.
Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Seek to be emptied of your own agenda and will. Seek to have a life poured out as a drink offering.
The Apostle Paul, when he knew his life would be ending, said, "My life is being poured out as a drink offering." In other words, "I've poured out my life for this gospel I preach."
Seek above everything else, to know Him and to make Him known.
May you daily seek to manifest all that He is through your life to the world.
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