April 4, 2021: I Have Prayed for You

“‘Simon! Simon! Behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail’” (Luke 22:31–32, NASB).

Christ and His disciples had just finished the Passover meal. Several events leading up to His crucifixion were about to unfold. He was to be betrayed by Judas, forsaken by His disciples and falsely accused by the Jewish religious leaders. Yet, Christ’s concern was for Peter as He assured him, “I have prayed for you.”

Satan once demanded and was given consent to “sift” Job. Severely assaulted, Job cursed the day of his birth but did not recant his faith in God.

A similar battle raged in both Peter and Judas, and rages about us today! Satan desires us to compromise our faith in God and lose hope. He strikes our weakest areas, bringing discouragement, hopelessness, doubt, guilt and confusion, as he did with Peter and Judas.

When the darkness of negative emotions threatens to overwhelm us, but we firmly grasp hold of God’s promises instead, Satan seeks to destroy. As he wrapped both Peter and Judas in the darkness of lies, so he attempts to deceive us too.

What Peter discovered is that the very weakest areas of our lives is where God is strongest. We need to accept the same promise of Christ: “I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail.”

It is our faith in God’s promises, coupled with the principles of His righteousness, that will take us through the dark hours of temptation and life’s hardships, no matter how crushing.

Father, please lead us, and may we have faith to trust and follow You. Amen.

M. Moses Andradé is the district pastor of the Beaumont, Drums, Slocum and Wyoming Valley churches in Pennsylvania.