Devotion Regarding Prayer

     In St. John's Gospel,  chapter 17,  we read Christ's prayer for his disciples,  and for all future believers who would hear the gospel through God's word recorded by his disciples.  The gospel is for the whole world (John 3:16) but here the Lord prays for those who would believe,  and not for the whole world.  It's encouraging to see his special love for his people.  He tells the Father that he has declared his name to his disciples,  and this name of I AM is coupled here with the love of God.  Again,  a very edifying thought.  Finally,  he prays for us,  his children,  that he would make his home in us,  and that the love of the Father towards him would be in us.  The Fruit of the Spirit suddenly becomes a very real part of these final prayers of Jesus before he goes to the cross.     The New Jerusalem is pictured in the Book of Revelation as being foursquare,  so it is designed as was the Holy of Holies in the Temples and Tabernacle,  where the length,  width,  and height,  are equal.  The Apostle Paul encourages us to enter boldly into the Most Holy Place through prayer in virtue of the blood of Christ shed for us.  It was upon the Mercy Seat that the blood of the sacrifice of the Day of Atonement was sprinkled.  Our Great High Priest entered the Most Holy in heaven by virtue of his own blood shed for us.  So we can see what God's presence is like in the vision of the Jerusalem from Above.  Here we see the throne of God,  the Mercy Seat,  and Living Water flowing from beneath it.  The glory of God and of the Lamb lighten the city,  and God's presence,  his Shekinah glory,  rested over the Mercy Seat in the Most Holy Place.  The gates of the city have angels next to them,  and this reminds us of the Cherubim in God's presence,  and the golden Cherubim at the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies.     The Cherubim guarded the way to the Tree of Life after the banishment from the Garden of Eden.  Here they seem to be there as God's ministers,  welcoming us to enter into his presence with thanksgiving,  and into his courts with joy.  A wholesome tongue is as a Tree of Life,  and the Holy City has the Tree of Life,  which we experience through God's word as we pray according to his heart.  In the faces of the Cherubim we can see the four Gospels,  just as there are also four sides to the City.  There are three gates on each side,  and as each Cherub would have four faces,  there are twelve faces of the Cherubim on each side of the City,  just as there are a total of twelve gates.     The Gospel of Matthew speaks especially of Christ's Jewishness in many ways,  and as he is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah -  the face of a lion on each Cherub reminds us of Matthew's gospel.  The face of the Ox on each Cherub seems to speak of St. Mark's gospel.  The Apostle Peter was assisted by Mark in ministry,  and the laboring fisherman Simon-Peter reminds us of the Ox,  just as Christ came not to be served,  but to serve,  and to give his life as a ransom for many.  The Gospel of Luke takes us back to the Creation of Adam,  the first man.  The face of a man on each Cherub speaks of the Second Adam,  and reminds us of Luke's gospel which teaches of Christ's coming in the likeness of sinful flesh,  and how he that knew no sin became sin for us,  that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.  The face of the eagle on each Cherub reminds us of how the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  It was as on eagle's wings that God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt,  and St. John's gospel teaches us of Christ's deity.  'They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength,  they shall mount up as on wings of eagles,  they shall run and not grow weary,  they shall walk,  and not faint.'       So we can enter into God's presence,  and in doing so drink of the Living Water of the Holy Spirit,  'If any man thirst,  let him come unto me and drink,  and out of his heart shall flow rivers of Living Water.'  It is as if the Lord invited us to enter boldly through the gates of heaven in prayer.  Mostly we see the love of God here.  We see the Lamb of God,  just as we see the Lamb as though he had been slain in the vision of heaven as we read of God's presence in Revelation chapters four and five.  The Book of Hebrews and the Book of Revelation teach us the love of God in different ways,  yet they preach the same good news of the gospel.     'For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son,  that whosoever believes in him should not perish,  but have everlasting life.'  We enjoy that everlasting life just as King David did in Psalm 23 as we enter into God's presence through prayer.  'There is no fear in love,  but perfect love casts out fear,  because fear involves torment.'  We often through trials walk through the valley of the shadow of death.  We need fear no evil,  for the Lord is with us,  and as our Great Shepherd,  he disciplines and protects us with his rod and his staff.  He feeds us as a shepherd cares for his sheep in the presence of predators,  and he pours out his Holy Spirit upon us,  and our cup is overflowing with his goodness and love.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives,  and then the promise that we are seated with Christ in heavenly places becomes an eternal reality.  We dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 