Jesus Prays for Himself
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| Pastor Mark Robinson.com |
We see here a very intimate time between our Lord and His Father. Barclay states this degree of intimacy can only happen because of Calvary.1 Also, He describes the Cross as the gateway to everlasting glory.2
We realize Jesus obeyed His Father by going to Jerusalem. He could have turned back at any time.
Jesus had spoken to the disciples in what we call straight language as He prepared them for what lay ahead for them all. Here, as He talks with the Father, Jesus speaks of his being glorified and returning to the glory He had before the world was created.
In our own relationships with God, we have times when we have times of deep prayer about issues looming on our horizons. We look forward to being able to converse with our Father and tell Him what is in our hearts. Personally, those times are the best times of prayer for me.
His Prayer for His Disciples
In this passage. Jesus shares his feelings about His disciples. He tells the Father that He, Jesus, knows that these men were given to Him and they had obeyed the Father’s Word. Jesus prays for them because they belong to God. All things belong to God and to Jesus.
In our prayer times, we ought to feel we are able to share our deepest thoughts on any subject with God. Maybe these thoughts are not things we dare share with even our closest friend or even our spouse. The hurt might be too deep for anyone but God.
The Master asks not that they be taken out of the world but that they be protected from the enemy. William Barclay states, “He never prayed that they might find escape; He prayed that they might find victory.” 3
When we pray for someone who finds themselves in a crisis, we do them a disservice if we ask God to take them out of the circumstance. If we asked God to take them out of that situation, God may want that person to learn a lesson that he or she would not otherwise learn. Instead, we should ask God to guide him or her through the problem and give them the strength they need to get through it.
Jesus prays for the disciples’ protection and their unity, “so that they may be one as we are one.”(Verse 11c) We should do likewise.
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1. Daily Study Bible, Book of John, vol.2, Westminster Press Phila. © 1975pp. 206-207
2. Ibid. p. 207
3. Op Cit. p. 215
Unity in the Body of Christ is a beautiful thing. But it is up to each member of the Body to practice unity. Often when there is disunity, we only have to look in the mirror. Praying that we will all draw closer together as we see the day of the Lord's return drawing near.
ReplyDeletePam: Thank you for your insightful comment. May I quote you? Blessings on you and yours.
DeleteHi Cecelia! Your point about not necessarily praying for an escape from our friend's situations is a good one. I often do that, I have to admit. Heal them, give them ease...but the perfect prayer is always 'thy will be done'.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this reminder,
Ceil
Ceil; Thank you for your thoughts. I have found that we come to the point of praying for God's guidance as we grow in the faith. It took me a long time to come to this understanding of God's ways.
DeleteSometimes I don't know what to pray in a certain situation and then I sit and wait...
ReplyDeleteMarja: When we don't know how to pray, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."Romans 8:26 KJV
Delete