The Prayer Life of Jesus: Praying for Your Spouse’s Future (Luke 9:18-22)

The Prayer Life of Jesus:
Praying for Your Spouse’s Future
Luke 9:18-22

INTRODUCTION:
S&P Dow Jones Indices published a list in 2019 of the 25 stocks in Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index that generated the best returns over the past 50 years. By price appreciation alone, many of these stocks delivered underwhelming annualized returns.

On a total-return basis (price appreciation plus dividends), however, these stocks blew away the broader market. Over the last 50 years, the S&P 500 generated an annualized return including dividends of 9.5%. That’s peanuts compared to the returns generated by the best stocks of the past half-century.

According to a kiplinger.com report from 2019, among those top companies, Boeing had an annualized return, plus dividends, of 13.73%. Tyson Foods has an annualized return, plus dividends of 14.02%. U. S. Bank - 14.16%. Sherwin-Williams - 14.23% (who would have thought that paint was so popular!). Walgreens - 14.48%. Hormel - 14.64%. Lowe’s - 15.13%. McDonalds - 15.51%. Aflac - 16.17%. Dollar General - 16.49%. Berkshire Hathaway - 19.84%.
If you had invested $1000 in Berkshire Hathaway in December 1972, your investment would be worth nearly $63 million dollars! ($62,841,899.58). That number was of March 9, 2023 (benzinga.com).

We can’t know the future. But we know who holds the future. When we invest in Christ wisely, we see great dividends. When we invest in people’s souls, we see great dividends. One of the best ways to invest in the future is through prayer. We never lose when we pray, as long as we pray “if it is the Lord’s will” (James 4:15).

This lesson is part of my monthly series on the “Prayer Life of Jesus” with a special focus on men praying for our wife’s future (since this is Father’s Day), although the principles are the same regardless of who we are praying for.

But let’s set our discussion on prayer within the context of Jesus’ prayer life. Let’s turn to Luke 9:18-22…

JESUS WAS PRAYING - Luke 9:18:
Luke does not record that Jesus was in Caesarea Philippi, as Matthew (16:13) and Mark (8:27) do. Apparently, for Luke, the location was not important. Caesarea was known for worship of the god Pan, as well as Augustus Caesar, for whom it was named by Philip. He later added “Philippi” to distinguish it from the other city by the same name (mentioned 15 times in Acts, located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea). It was located 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee, at the base of Mount Hermon close to the headwaters of the Jordan River. It was largely populated by Gentiles.

For what was Jesus praying? Because of this context, I presume He was praying for the future… For the future of the establishment of the church / the kingdom. For the future of His apostles’ faith and conviction relative to that establishment. Jesus had an idea of what He was going to endure between then and Acts 2 - the crucifixion, which He’ll predict for the first time in verse 22.

THE QUESTION - 9:18:
“Who do the people say that I am?” Famously, in Matthew’s account (16:13), Jesus asked, “Who do people say that the ‘Son of Man’ is?” Mark records the question as “people say that I am?” Clearly, Jesus identified Himself as the “Son of Man.” This designation ties Jesus into the prophecy of Daniel in 7:13-14 where Daniel predicted the Son of Man receiving the new, Messianic Kingdom, from God the Father. “Son of Man” was Jesus’ preferred self-designation. The designation is used 84 times in the Gospel accounts.

THE CONFUSION - 9:19:
Who was Jesus? Well, different men had their opinions. Some thought He was John the baptist risen from the dead, like King Herod (Mark 6:16). Others thought He was Elijah, whom the prophet Malachi had predicted would come (Malachi 3:1; 4:5-6). Matthew (16:14) records Jeremiah as one of the options. Still others thought Jesus was some other prophet risen again.

We note a couple of things from this exchange. First, these were all good opinions of Jesus! He was in good company to be placed alongside each of these men. But, as good an opinion as these were, they were all wrong. And woefully wrong.

Second, we note that Jewish people did believe in a resurrection from the dead. Herod believed that Jesus was able to perform miracles because He was John the baptist risen from the dead.

THE CONFESSION - 9:20:
Jesus wants His own disciples to reflect on the miracles and teachings He has given and to meditate on what the implications are for them. In other words: “Who do you say that I am?”

Of course, Peter is the one who speaks up and confessions the thoughts that they had surely discussed over the past year or two: “The Christ of God.” The “Messiah” sent by God. While Peter might not have fully understood the total ramifications of what he had just confessed, he was beginning to put two and two together. The record in Mark is similar to Luke’s, but Matthew records that Peter confessed that Jesus was the “Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Confessing Christ to be the “Son of God” was a massive leap forward in Peter’s understanding! This was a confession of His deity. That’s the conclusion Peter had drawn based on the evidences he had seen!

THE WARNING ABOUT THE FUTURE - 9:21-22:
In Matthew’s account, of course, Jesus famously blessed Peter and then promised that He would build His church; He would establish His kingdom, and the “gates of hades” would not stop Him from doing that. This is not a prediction of the permanent nature of the church; Daniel 7:13-14 is. This is a prediction of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. The “gates of hades” would not hold Jesus behind its bars; He would rise from the dead (Acts 2:27, 31).

Here in Luke’s account, Jesus warns His apostles not to tell anyone. It was not yet time for Him to reveal His nature openly because once that happens, the crucifixion will not be far behind. And, of course, He needed to be crucified during the Passover Feast to fully parallel the imagery of the sacrificial lamb from Exodus 12.

But in verse 22, Jesus also warned His apostles what was in His future. The Son of Man would (notice Jesus says “must” - because it had to fulfill the word of the Lord from the OT):

1) Suffer many things;
2) Be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes;
3) Be killed;
4) Be raised up on the third day.

PRAY FOR YOUR SPOUSE’S FUTURE:
Our wives can be fearful relative to the future. They fear losing a child, becoming ill or disabled, losing her husband, being alone, being unable to defend herself against someone, losing relevance, losing her attractiveness.

Men, we need to pray for our wives that they will understand that they are never alone (Heb. 13:5), that Christ loves them (John 15:9) and that they can be more than conquerors through Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:37). God will work all things together for their good (Rom. 8:28).

Regardless of whom your wife impacts, she needs your prayers. If it’s just the kids, she needs your prayers. If it’s the people at work, she needs your prayers. Her ministry is a unique one and she needs your prayers.

Pray for your wife to have the wisdom as she moves into her future. Wisdom to do the right thing, at the right time, in the right way. The virtuous woman in Proverbs 31:26 accomplished what she did, was successful because she had a husband who prayed for her. James tells us if we need wisdom, to ask for it (James 1:5). Pray that your wife will have the wisdom she needs.

Your wife may have a fear that things are never going to improve; that they’re going to stay the same. Pray for her to have optimism, to have faith, to have perseverance.

The future is so uncertain that, even when things are going well, we can never get too cocky about it. Everything can change in one moment, and then our lives are forever different. That's because Satan never stops making plans for our future. We have to be continually watchful in prayer to make certain that our future is securely in God's hands so His plans will prevail.

As you pray for your wife's future, remember that it's your future too. That's because your future is not independent of hers, nor is hers separate from yours. They are intertwined. This is the reason that the prayers you pray for your wife are guaranteed to yield a return that will make you secure for the rest of your lives. If you keep investing in your wife's future with prayer, I guarantee that your lives are going to be rich with blessings from God.

Please pray for your SPOUSE that:
S/he will not fear the future.
S/he will have wisdom in all things.
S/he will have a vision and hope for her/his future.
S/he will be able to make quick decisions wisely.
S/he will not listen to lies of the enemy about her / his future.
S/he will bear fruit into old age.
Her / his future will be secure.

LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF THE LORD:
“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). This verse, quoting from Isaiah 64:4 and refers to the Messianic Age - the time of Christ. Just what has God prepared for us, as individual Christians, through our relationship with Jesus Christ? We just have to trust that the blessings are great.

“Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off” (Prov. 23:18).

“My son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, So they will be life to your soul and adornment to your neck. Then you will walk in your way securely and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden fear nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught” (Prov. 3:21–26).

“House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord” (Prov. 19:14).

“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:11–13).

Take home message: Pray for your spouse’s future: for his/her wisdom, knowledge, patience, and determination in service to Christ.