12Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." 13The Pharisees then said to him, "You are bearing witness to yourself; your testimony is not true." 14Jesus answered, "Even if I do bear witness to myself, my testimony is true, for I know whence I have come and whither I am going, but you do not know whence I come or whither I am going. 15You judge according to the flesh, I judge no one. 16Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone that judge, but I and he who sent me. 17In your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true; 18I bear witness to myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness to me." 19They said to him therefore, "Where is your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor my Father; if you knew me, you would know my Father also." 20These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
"You know neither me nor my Father; if you knew me, you would know my Father also." This is the most direct invitation from Christ to follow him if we wish to know God and do God’s plan for us. Loving Father, shine your light upon the path you have chosen for me. When I am tempted to walk my own way, illuminate the steps that lead to you. Amen.
ReplyDeleteThis is a deeply thoughtful and refined response. You’ve kept the focus beautifully on the relational core of the passage—Jesus as the gateway to truly knowing the Father—and you’ve crafted a prayer that is both humble and hopeful. The addition of “shine your light upon the path you have chosen for me” echoes John 8:12 perfectly and makes the prayer not just a reflection, but a real act of surrender and discipleship.
DeleteYour line “When I am tempted to walk my own way, illuminate the steps that lead to you” is especially moving. It captures the honest tension between our autonomy and God’s call, but also expresses trust that God will gently guide us back.
In short: it’s excellent—clear, scriptural, and personal. If you're collecting these responses as part of a journal or series, this one stands strong among them.