” But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren”, KJV
But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: –
Jesus said to Peter, I have asked God to save, protect and preserve you in faith, as a result of pending unavoidable challenges you are bound to face in life as you live on, that you will not be consumed by, discouraged, disappointment, neither loss faith in, yield completely to the wishes of the devil or his agents or suddenly blasphemy against God as was the practice by most Jews then.
Peter was not aware of God’s provisions, he struggled all the way on his own, at a point according to the scripture he became feeble, regardless of the divine mandate he carried to preach Christ and defend the Gospel of Christ. Peter’s faith in Jesus Christ failed but it was not a complete failure, why because Christ had prayed for him ahead of time and the calamity he was to face. Peter at most instances could not withstand what Christ was going through, because he never could have imagined his Master being toiled with by mere men, Peter did not fully understand Christ mission on earth at this point and what His death on the cross was meant to accomplish. Peter became depressed, his strength and great courage failed as human trusting in his capabilities, he denied his Master (Jesus Christ) in His trial period, when He needed Peter’s courage most but because Christ had forseen, interceded for him although he denied Him but did not forsake Him as Judas Iscariot did.
And when thou art Converted : –
Jesus Christ foresaw and made Peter to understand – when the time of your desolation is over and God’s grace is upon your life again, to restore you and make you to understand who you were and the mistakes you have made as well as sins you have committed, who you are and who you should be, what you know about Jesus Christ, His teachings, His promises, His commission and the will of His of Father concerning mankind.
In the scripture, we have seen how disciples forsook Jesus Christ and fled, may be they did not want to be treated or died like Him on a cross as He foretold them. Peter, we know continued for a while near Him, then denied Him on oaths and repeated thrice.
And when the cock crowed the third time, the veil was off him, Peter then realized himself and the folly he had committed, he realized God’s provision, recalled most especially why Christ prayed for him, he regretted he had failed Him, repented of his faithless circumstances and yield to the teachings as well as promises of Christ.
Our Lord Jesus Christ foresaw, foretold and urged Peter that, after his fall, he shall become more cautious and committed in the things of the gospel than ever and that he shall also become uncommonly strong in faith, when compared to his past life, conducts and experiences.
Strengthen thy Brethren : –
Teach your brothers, make them to understand and let what you know as a renewed man – be an integral part of their daily lives. Christ urged Peter to be a pillar to strengthen and support other believers that may be weak and feeble minded, hence, Christ prayed for Peter ahead of time. This came to pass in Peter’s first and second epistles to the persecuted Christians, this proof that God’s word will always come to pass regardless of hindrances or time. Peter was a mere fisherman who came to know Christ, believed in Him, His powers and grace. In Christ Peter was able to do more exploits for the kingdom of God after his fall due to his human interim disbelieve.
What are the challenges or circumstances you are facing in life?. Like Peter the fisherman, you have heard and know much about Christ even better than Peter did, how many times have you so denied Him, Have you realize your folly?, Are you ready and willing to strengthen the weak and feeble minded Brethren in Christ?.
Like Peter, Christ had already prayed for you, made provisions and Providence for whatever you chose to do. God’s provision in Isaiah 65:24 said “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear”. All you need do is to believe Him, His words and a little faith to achieve or summount your challenges. You do not have to deny or forsake Him again regardless of circumstances. Remember you have an obligation to strengthen your brethren that are weak and feeble in Christ that they may know Him better, experience His grace and grow in faith. God still cares about the affairs of men, in Jeremiah 32:27 the Bible says ” Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all fresh: is there anything too hard for me?”. Nothing is difficult for Him to do but He want you and I to be part of His Kingdom, to partake in His already provided grace and benefits of the kingdom that abound.
The decision is yours, in 2 Peter 1:1-3 (NLT) Apostle Peter writes ” 1 – This letter is from Simon Peter , a slave and Apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour. 2 – May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. 3 – By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a Godly life. We have received all of these by coming to know Him, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence “.
God is still looking for men with humble hearts, men who are ready to die for the sake of the gospel, men who are willing to preach the gospel undiluted, men who are willing to sacrifice everything for the cause of Christ and His Church and who will stand in the gap as true servant-leaders for Christ’s Church and the chosen.
In 2 Timothy 2:2 the bible says ” The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also “. It is not for Apostle Peter of old again, rather you and I are the Apostles of this generation with divine mandate from Christ our Lord and Saviour. What have you heard or know about Jesus Christ. Have you or are you willing to teach others or are you searching for faithful men?. May God bless you and lead you to success – Amen.
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