He Came To Complete
At this season of Christmas, we celebrate not just the birth of the Christ child, but the life that He came to live, as well. I begin this Prayer Nugget with a verse more normally connected with Easter than Christmas, but if you will bear with me, you’ll see it gives Jesus’ motivation for being born here at all.
John 17:4 “I have glorified You down here on the earth by completing the work that You gave Me to do.” AMP
Before He could complete His work here, Jesus had to be born according to all the prophecies that had been spoken through the years; i.e., there had to be a natural beginning. Just beginning wasn’t enough, however. He had to continue on the course the Lord had prescribed for Him from before the foundation of the world so He could say with certainty that He had completed the work He had been given, and had glorified the Father because of it.
As I read this passage recently, it had an impact upon me that continues to work in me! My first thoughts were so strong, seeming to burn in me, that I want to be like Jesus at the end of my life and say that I have glorified my Father here by completing what He has given me to do. I saw this as out in the future, at the end of my life. Then I realized that, if I hope to declare with confidence the words of Jesus at the end of my life, I need to complete each day the way He has given it to me to complete. If His grace is sufficient for only one day at a time, then my life can only be completed one day at a time, as well. Every decision I make each day helps or hinders my completion of the Lord’s specific course for me. If I seek to complete each day God’s way, then I am assured that I will come to the end of my life making the same statement Jesus did.
The Lord then helped me see it in an even more specific way – concerning my prayer life. Each time I come to the Lord in prayer, whether individually, in a small group, or large church gathering, He has a specific course for me in that time of prayer. There is something for me to complete – not just start – each time I come to Him. Once I’ve started praying, I must stay with it until my part is completed. How do I know it’s completed? How did Jesus know? He stayed connected to the Father, by the Spirit, doing what He saw the Father doing, and saying what He heard the Father saying. He knew with certainty He had completed the course for each day, which included the ministry at each temple service, each prayer when He spent time with the Father, each healing He had been given to perform, etc.
It’s really a matter of faith. I have to believe that if Jesus could do this by the Holy Spirit, then so can I. His Word tells me that as He is, so am I in this world. (1 John 4:17) A good starting point for me is to begin my day declaring that my life this day is to complete what the Father has given me to do, in prayer and every other area of my life. I can only do this by the Spirit of God, so I trust Him to come alongside me to help accomplish today’s course completely, as prescribed by God. When I think I’m finished praying, I wait on the Lord, asking Him if I have completed what He has for me at this time. Sometimes I have a sense that there is something else, so I wait and pray what He gives me. Other times, I sense that I am finished. And still other times, for me to complete what He has for me that day in prayer, I must just sit still, which is probably the hardest one for me, as I don’t feel like I’m doing anything. But that is where faith comes in, too. I must trust Him to know what needs prayer, how the prayer needs to be accomplished, and when each part of it needs to be prayed by me.
I’m just beginning this aspect of the exciting journey in prayer and life, but I am determined to have the motivation of Jesus be my motivation – that I glorify the Father by completing the work on earth that He gives me to do. May you also completely fulfill God’s plan for your life each day – starting with prayer! Have a wonderful celebration of the birth and life of our Lord Jesus Christ!
© Copyright 2006 Kay V. Stocking
