11/19/09

John 17:1-26 (New International Version)

John 17
Jesus Prays for Himself
1After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
6"I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. 12While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17Sanctify[b] them by the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Jesus Prays for All Believers
20"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."


Jesus prays 3 different prayers. He prays for himself, for his disciples, and for future believers. I have mentioned this passage before. I found it once while flipping through Keri's bible. She had underlined verse four. She wrote beside it, " could I say this if I died tomorrow". I believe this is what we should all ask ourselves. What would God say to me if I were to pass from this earth? I will say that I thank him for not taking me 2 months ago because my report card would not have been very good.

Jesus prayed for God to keep his disciples and future believers safe from Satan's wrath. We are united in his faith. Jesus clearly states how to achieve eternal life. It requires entering a personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ.We must repent from our sins, and Christ will give us the Holy Spirit.Jesus completed his purpose on earth, then went back to be one with God. Jesus showed his character while here on earth. Does our character reflect that of Jesus? We are united with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is the strongest union of all. It is one that will not be defeated. God wants us to be joyful. He talked often of this. Christ is the source of all joy and it will allow God to protect us from everything. The world hates Christians because we refuse to cooperate with the world's standards and therefore it's sin. We don't belong to this earth. Take joy if the world does not accept you. By getting into your bible, you can purify your heart and mind daily.You must read the bible. It renews your relationship and guides your daily path.

Jesus calls us as Christians to go out into the world and be "salt and light". We are not to try to escape from the world but go into it and spread the gospel and be a shining example of him. This is a purpose that we all share. Jesus had a special prayer for us. He wants us to be unified and sanctified through God. This is where our confidence to share the word comes from. We should pray for other Christians, avoid gossip, build others up, work together in humility, give our time and money, exalt Christ, and refuse to get sidetracked arguing over divisive matters.

I mentioned being part of the vine the other day. Jesus mentions this again. Each branch in the living union of God is in union with all the other branches doing the same. Pull your brother out of the ditch and form a united front. Because we are all living from the tree of life, we form a united front and this makes us a very powerful force. The Bible says to " Figure out what will please Christ and then do it". Love God supremely, trust God completely (Did you know that Noah had never seen rain before the flood? God irrigated the earth from the ground up but he built the ark anyway.), obey God wholeheartedly because obedience unlocks understanding, praise and thank God continually, and use your abilities for God. Pleasing him should be our greatest desire. There is nothing that God won't bless for the person totally absorbed in this goal. Always remember what one of Dusty's favorite cartoon the wonderpets sings at the end of every show: "We are not to big and we are not to tough but when we work together we have the right stuff!" God be with you all.

Father God I ask that you help me to make you happy. I pray that I will praise you constantly, and worship you in everything that I do. Jesus prayed for us while he was here on earth and set such a shining example on how we should act. I praise you for that, Lord I pray for all my friends and family that you simply take care of their needs as you already know them. I pray that you give me strength and wisdom today. I love you and I lift you up. I ask that you lift me up in return. I thank you for all of the blessings that you bestow on me and for all of the track that you have laid ahead of me so that we would be blessed. I ask that you continue to bless this household. Thank you for my wonderful children and for the legacy that they represent. I ask that the lost of this world will turn to you and come to know you as their savior, I ask for opportunities to serve you today. I pray that you reveal your will to me and teach me your ways. I also ask you to forgive me where I fail you. In Jesus name I pray....amen