"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message" John 17:20
Thus in this wonderful intercessory prayer, our Lord reached out beyond the little circle of imperiled disciples who stood around Him that night, and gathered in His arms — all those who would believe on Him. It embraced us, therefore, who in these days believe on Christ. He looked down along the ages, and saw us and our dangers, and amid the deepening shadows of His cross — He prayed for us. How sweet to be prayed for by Christ!
Even that is not all, as precious as it is; for we are told elsewhere that Jesus ever lives to make intercession for His people. We are not to think of Him as losing interest in this earth when He went away. This intercessory prayer, whose sentences we catch as we read this chapter, is but a momentary revealing to us of Christ's continual pleading for us in Heaven. We are to think of Him as in Heaven, watching us perpetually and praying for us in every time of danger. He sees each stealthy temptation as it approaches, and asks, "Father, keep your imperiled child!"
It is a very precious comfort even to know that a dear human friend is praying for us. Many a time in my youth, I was kept from doing wrong things, by the thought that in my quiet home far away, my father and my mother, every morning and every evening, stretched out holy hands in earnest, loving prayer — that God would keep their boy. I could not do the wrong thing, with this vision in my mind. Still more powerful in its restraining influence upon us — should be the assurance that day and night Jesus in Heaven is thinking of us, watching us from His holy height in glory, and at every appearance of evil, prays for us. How could we do the evil thing — if we but stopped long enough to think of this Divine intercession for us?
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J.R. Miller (1840 - 1912)
Prolific author and pastor of Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois, Rev. James Russell Miller served the USCC as a field agent in the Army of the Potomac and Army of the Cumberland.J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia. J.R. Miller D.D.'s lasting fame is through his over 50 books. Many are still in publication.
James Russell Miller (March 20, 1840 - July 2, 1912) was a popular Christian author, Editorial Superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication, and pastor of several churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois.
In 1857, James entered Beaver Academy and in 1862 he progressed to Westminster College, Pennsylvania, which he graduated in June, 1862. Then in the autumn of that year he entered the theological seminary of the United Presbyterian Church at Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Mr. Miller resumed his interrupted studies at the Allegheny Theological Seminary in the fall of 1865 and completed them in the spring of 1867. That summer he accepted a call from the First United Presbyterian Church of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. He was ordained and installed on September 11, 1867.
J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia.
Five years later, in 1880, Dr. Miller became assistant to the Editorial Secretary at the The Presbyterian Board of Publication, also in Philadelphia.