Day 227. Lk.20- 22
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Luke 22:31-32:- “Simon, Simon, look out! Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

In Luke 6:14,we read that Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter.
But here we see that Jesus, purposefully called, “Simon, Simon”,

Why did Jesus purposefully revert back to his old name?

Because He wants to highlight Peter’s overconfidence in his own abilities.

Peter believed he had enough faith and courage to face prison and even death for Jesus, but within just hours, he was overcome by fear and denied knowing Jesus 3 times
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Here Jesus is telling Peter that Satan has made a request to have “all” the disciples to test the reality of their faith

It is a request for all the disciples.
The demand is that he might “SIFT” them.

The phrase “sift you like wheat” is an agricultural term that refers to a farmer separating the chaff from the wheat by shaking it violently in a sieve.

That’s exactly what Satan wanted to do to Peter.

And I know most of us going through this SIFTING process.

We might be going through adversities, and trials that I cannot imagine.

*This all sifting process is Satan’s effort ……..
.. #. to destroy their faith,
….. #..to separate us from God, from our faith –
….. #..to shake us around so harshly that we give up, and fall from fellowship with God
Satan wants nothing more than to cut the heart of God by sifting our life.
He wants to destroy everything of value in our life, 1 Pet. 5:8.
He wants to ruin our testimony.
He wants to destroy our home.
He wants to break up our influence.
He wants to take away everything of value in our life and leave us with nothing.
He will do everything to cut the heart of God and ruin our life!
He will use whatever tactic he deems necessary to get us to fall.

However,… Dear friends…,
In verse 32, we can see that Peter received the promise of intercession.
Jesus is interceding for all of them.

The times of testing and failure will come in our life, but in the midst of them, let us take courage in the fact that we have JESUS pleading our case, taking our part, praying for us in Heaven.

So… There is only one thing that really helps us during the sifting process and that is prayer.

Our God will never leave us, regardless of the task or trial.

As Jesus prayed for us, let’s pray for one another.

Jooley Mathew Z
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