Last time we were together, we were studying John 17. We talked about how this should be called the real Lord’s Prayer. This is the final prayer Jesus prayed before going to the cross. If you haven’t read the previous post, I encourage you to read that one first. It will help this post to make more sense to you!

Today we are going to look at the last group of people Jesus prayed for in John 17. 

Jesus Prays For You And I 

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” ‭‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭20‬-‭26‬ ‭(ESV)‬‬

Did you know Jesus prayed for you before he went to the cross? That is pretty incredible. Jesus wasn’t just thinking about himself or his friends, he was also thinking about you! In verse 20 he prays for those who believe because of the testimony of the disciples. That my friend is you! It is through the testimony of the disciples who led others to Jesus, and then those people gave testimony that led someone else to Jesus, and on and on to the person whose testimony led you to Jesus. What does Jesus pray regarding you? 

We May Become One

Jesus prays that we become one just as the Father is in Jesus, and Jesus is in the Father. In fact he prays this three times in verses 21-23. 

“that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” ‭‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭21‬-‭23‬ (‭ESV)

Oneness Doesn’t Mean Acceptance Of Sin

‬‬I’d say it is important to Jesus that we are united with him, and each other. What can you start doing to become united with other believers? You can unite on what the Bible clearly says, but you don’t have to stress over trying to convince others that your specific viewpoint on any given topic is the only right way.

For example, let’s say you strongly believe the gifts of the Spirit are absolutely necessary and vitally important in living the Christian life. However, let’s say your sister or brother in Christ doesn’t yet understand their importance in day to day Christian living. Does this mean you should sever the relationship? No. You can be united in the fact that you both believe Jesus is the only way, the truth, and the life. Then you can get on your knees and pray that God would show your brother or sister the importance of the gifts of the Spirit.

This is not to say that we should be silent when it comes to Christians living in sin. Yes, we need to lovingly point those things out. If you happen to be attending a church that promotes sin as ok, you need to leave immediately and find a place where the truth is taught, no matter how unpopular it may be in our current culture.

Jesus Prays For You To Be Filled With Love

Jesus asks for the love that the Father has for Jesus to also be in us. What an incredible request! Can you even begin to imagine how much love the Father has for Jesus? I sure can’t. This love is more than I can comprehend, yet this is precisely what Jesus asks for you to have. You are loved deeply by the Father! 

Brett said it this way recently:

“His love is meant to fill you up to overflowing. His love, like a great fire, is meant to set you ablaze for Him. The love of the Father sends fear running for the hills, for it says in 1 John 4:18 (ESV), “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

God’s love in us casts out the fear of His glory, the fear of His blessings, the fear of being known by God. God is not afraid of you. He is not afraid of knowing you. He knows all about you. Are you afraid of being known by God? Does it frighten you that God might find out what’s in your heart? Are you afraid that if God shows you something, it may break you apart, never to recover? God doesn’t work that way. His love brings peace and comfort, wholeness and stillness.”

I encourage you to ask God to help you feel and accept this kind of love from him. It will change everything in your life!

Prayer Template

Jesus’ prayer in John 17 shows us a template of how we can pray. What do we pray for? 

Pray For Yourself

First, we pray for ourselves. We pray that we will live cognizant of our present eternal life, which consists of gaining a deeper, more intimate relationship with God the Father every day. Pray to accomplish all that the Father has for us to do while we are living on the earth. We pray God will be glorified in all we do and say just like Jesus did.

Pray For Other Christians

Next, we pray for those who God has given us to mentor and disciple. If you have been saved long, you are qualified to have someone who is newer to the faith to mentor. As we continue to learn more about who God is and learn what it means to be his disciple, we can take those lessons and teach them to others. You are equipped to encourage others in their walk with Christ, just as you have someone doing the same for you. 

When you pray for the people God has given you to disciple, you first thank God for giving you people to mentor and disciple. You recognize it is God who put these people in your life and thank him for this responsibility.

You ask for his words to speak and thank God that the people we have been given to disciple will receive the words of God and act on them.

Pray that you and those you disciple will become one just as Jesus is one with the Father. You can also pray that you and those you disciple will become one with Jesus and the Father.

Ask Jesus To Fill Them With HIS Joy

Ask the Father to fill you with the joy that comes only from Jesus. Thank Jesus for giving you joy that is cheerful, calm and delightful, and glad in all circumstances. 

You pray for God’s protection to surround those you disciple. Remember to recognize this important note: in the same way you need the Lord surrounding you, the people you have been given to mentor need God’s protection as well. 

Lastly, you pray for those you disciple to be sanctified in the word of God. You ask God to make them holy, to cleanse and purify them, and to separate them from profane things so that they will dedicate themselves wholly to God. 

Pray For Future Christians

Lastly, we pray for those who will become Christians in the future. We pray they will hear the testimony of other Christians and grab ahold of the truth.

We pray they will become united with other believers just as Jesus and the Father are united. Pray the love that the Father has for Jesus will also dwell in these believers. 

What does a prayer like this look like? I’m glad you asked! Below you will find a prayer that uses this template. You can use this prayer, or even better, write your own! 

Prayer

Thank you Jesus for praying for us. Thank you for showing us how to pray. I do pray that we will continue to grow in our relationship with you and with the Father. Teach us to have an ever deepening knowledge and understanding of who you are. We desire to have an intimate relationship with you. 

Pray For Yourself

I pray you will continually show me what you have written in my book in Heaven. Empower me to accomplish all that is written in your book about me. I know that accomplishing the work you have for me glorifies the Father, and I desire to glorify the Father in all I say and do. 

Pray For Others

I thank you Father for giving each of us people to disciple. I thank you that as we grow in our relationship with you, you have entrusted us with others who need to learn what we are learning. Empower us to impart what you have and are teaching us to these believers. I ask you to give us the right words to say when we are talking with the people you have entrusted us to disciple. I ask that you make us one just as Jesus and the Father are one. Unite our hearts and minds to you so that we will be united with each other. In this manner we will each be able to accomplish all that is written about us in our Heavenly books and thus glorify the Father. 

I pray that the joy that comes only from Jesus will fill the hearts and minds of the people you have called for us to disciple. Give them cheerfulness, calm delight, and gladness in all circumstances. I call upon protecting angels to surround the people you have called for us to disciple. Protect their minds from believing the lies of the enemy. Father, protect their bodies from injury caused by evil intent. Protect their physical possessions from theft. Protect them in all ways so they can be free to be sanctified by your word. 

I pray you continue to make the people you have given to us to disciple holy. I ask that you empower them to separate themselves from anything that profanes you. Instead, I pray they will dedicate themselves wholly to you so you can cleanse them and purify them with the washing of your word. 

Pray For Future Christians

I pray also for those people who are yet to become your children. I pray that when they hear the testimony of what you have done in other believer’s lives, they will grab ahold of the truth they know to be true and surrender their lives to you. Lord, I pray they will become united with other believers just as you, Jesus, and the Father are united. I pray for the love that the Father has for Jesus will dwell in these new believers. Father, I pray this love will be evident to everyone they come into contact with and will lead others to the truth of who Jesus is. 

I thank you, Father, that you hear our prayers. Thank you that you not only hear, but you also answer our prayers. I thank you for answering the prayer your son, Jesus, prayed all those years ago, and I thank you for answering this prayer that has just been prayed. I pray all these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.