Wednesday
Read: Luke 22:1–38
SOAP: Luke 22:31–32
“Simon, Simon, pay attention! Satan has demanded to have you all, to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Devotion
Simon Peter had walked with Jesus. Jesus had done a miracle for his family and a miracle for his business; Peter left both of these things to follow Jesus.
Peter saw Jesus perform miracles for many others, too. He even saw Jesus transfigured before his own eyes, talking with Moses and Elijah. Peter, like the other disciples, often had “little faith,” but Peter was the first disciple in Luke’s Gospel to declare that Jesus is the Messiah.
Even in His last hours, Jesus cared for Peter. Even though Jesus knew what Peter would do after His arrest, that he would abandon and deny Him, Jesus encouraged Peter. Jesus prayed for him that his faith would not fail.
Peter fell into temptation. He denied Jesus just a few hours later. Jesus knew that this would happen, which is why He warned Peter and told him that He had prayed for his faith not to fail. After Peter’s humiliating and painful fall, he undoubtedly remembered Jesus’ gracious words. This helped him not to despair, but to repent. Through God’s answer to the prayer of His Son, Peter’s faith did not fail in the end. Hours before His arrest, trial, crucifixion, and death, Jesus was praying for Peter. Jesus was caring for His sheep, making sure they would not stay lost.
Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, cares deeply for you. He cares about your eternal salvation and He longs to have a relationship with you. That’s not all. He cares about you, intimately and personally. He knows what you need. He knows what you desire. He even knows how you’ll fail in the future. None of these things, not even your failures, can keep your Savior from loving you and praying for you. He always goes after His own, as a shepherd looks for one sheep who has been lost. He will not stop seeking your heart, no matter how far you’ve wandered.
As we aim to live lives of faith, may we remember the ever-present, faithful love of our Savior, always pursuing, always working, and always forgiving. Like He did with Peter, He is always praying for you. Don’t let your past mistakes keep you from walking with Him.