Make Me Ready to Serve

 
John 17:17-19 translated in New King James, God's Word Translation and New Century Version

¹⁷ Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. ¹⁸ As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. NKJ

¹⁷ “Use the truth to make them holy. Your words are truth. ¹⁸ I have sent them into the world the same way you sent me into the world. ¹⁹ I’m dedicating myself to this holy work I’m doing for them so that they, too, will use the truth to be holy. GWT

¹⁷ Make them ready for your service through your truth; your teaching is truth. ¹⁸ I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. ¹⁹ For their sake, I am making myself ready to serve so that they can be ready for their service of the truth. NCV

I know the words "sanctify" and "holy" means to be set apart for a specific purpose, but sometime when I read the definition in place of the word, It helps my brain compute. Jesus prays, "Make them ready for your service" or "Sanctify them"

We always want to Know His truth, but he does not pray that, Jesus asks that His truth make us ready for service. He must really desire this to have prayed it as His last prayer to the Father while on earth. He sandwiched it between "keep them safe from the evil one" and "praying for the lost". Our giving of ourselves(surrendering) is the way that He breaks the hold that the enemy has on us AND it is the way that the next generation will see our love in action and believe. 

Sometimes I live by faith because I know need God. Sometimes I live by faith because I am grateful. Sometimes I live by faith because the faith of others depends on the faith I live. 

James 4:14,
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