by Jeff Coon
John 17:9, "I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours."
John 17:20, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word."
I am moved to realize the love of God every time I read the prayer that Jesus prayed for us in John chapter 17. Because this is the heart of Jesus for His own children, we can also pray this prayer for ourselves, and for our own children, knowing that it is in the perfect will of God. Read through the whole of John chapter 17 and then come back to this article and we’ll look at some of the specific things that Jesus prayed for his children.
1. THAT YOU WILL BE UNITED AS ONE
"That they may be one, as we are one."
Wow! What a prayer. What a vision. Oh to experience the same kind of oneness with one another that Jesus had with his Father. We can’t expect this to happen in the body of Christ until we experience it in our own marriage and family. When husbands and wives walk in oneness, and families live in harmony together, we’ll begin to see this happen in the church of God.
Join with Jesus in this prayer for your marriage and your family. Keep praying it into being until you experience it.
2. THAT YOU WILL BE KEPT FROM EVIL
"My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it."
When we come to Jesus, He does not want to let us go. Read John 10:28-30. He keeps us by His power. (1 Peter 1:5) Claim this promise for yourself and your children. Join with Jesus in praying this prayer for your children. Pray that they will be kept from the lures of the world. Pray that they will be kept from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of the life (1 John 2:16). Pray that they will be kept from the deceptions of the enemy. Pray that they will be kept close to the Lord.
We don’t separate ourselves, or our children from the world to do this. We train them to be strong in the Lord and strong in the truth, so they can stand against the world. God’s desire is for us to live in this world, untouched by its lures, evils and temptations. He wants us to touch the world with His love and salvation, but be untouched by the temptation to their sin.
3. THAT YOU WILL LIVE IN HIS JOY
"That they may have the full measure of my joy."
Jesus’ joy was not determined by his outward circumstances. It was founded on his relationship with His Father. He was filled with joy because he kept his eyes on the final goal. He even endured the cross "for the joy that was set before him." (Hebrews 12:2)
The joy Jesus wants us to experience is not based on happiness. It is not dependent on our circumstances. It is an inward joy. We have it in us because He lives in us, and he is Joy. His joy is not here today and gone tomorrow. It is a remaining joy! It is always in us because He abides in us. Jesus said in John 15:11, "…that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."
Don’t let outside pressures rob the joy from your life. Continually acknowledge the joy of the Lord in your soul. Don’t let negative attitudes and words rob the joy from your home. Keep the joy flowing.
4. THAT YOU WILL BE SANCTIFIED
"Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth."
The word ‘sanctify’ means ‘to make holy, purify, consecrate’. How can we keep pure and holy in this world? Jesus tells us the answer in his prayer. The Word of God will keep us holy. Read the Word of God. Memorize it. Think about it. Confess it out loud. Talk about it.
Do you want your children to be sanctified? Feed them the Word of God. Read it to them daily. Encourage them to memorize it too. Two important Scriptures for your children to memorize on this subject are:
Psalm 119:9, "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.."
Psalm 119:11, "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."
5. THAT YOU WILL EXPERIENCE HIS GLORY
"I have given them the glory that you gave me."
Can you believe this statement? It is amazing. When Simeon saw the baby Jesus, He spoke prophetically as he proclaimed, "For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people." (Luke 2:30-32) Jesus was the light and glory of God on earth.
Now he has returned to the heavenly realm, God still wants His light and glory to be revealed in this sin-sick world. He has now chosen His redeemed people to be the light and the glory. "Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:27) Yes, He wants you to show forth His light and glory from your life.
Unless you shine your light, people will stay in darkness. "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." (Isaiah 60:1)
Jesus was not a flickering light, but a great light. He wants you to shine brightly too. Remember that Jesus prayed this prayer for you and is still praying it at the right hand of the Father. Read Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:16; 5:16.
6. THAT YOU WILL BEHOLD HIS GLORY
"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."
Jesus longs that we will live in the eternal realm with Him and behold the glory that He shares with the Father. This is why He came to earth to redeem us. What a redemption! What a hope! Oh what a day when we will behold Him in all His glory!
This is also the prayer that we pray for our children, isn’t it? That they will be born again, receive eternal life, and come to know Christ intimately. Our most important task as parents is to prepare our children for the eternal world.
7. THAT THE FATHER’S LOVE WILL BE IN YOU
"That the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
What kind of love does Jesus want us to have for one another? The love that the Father had for His only begotten son! Oh to experience this kind of love in our lives. Oh to have this love in our families. Oh for this kind of love in the body of Christ.
It is sacrificial love. It is love that does not think of itself. It is love that does not demand its own way. It is love that delights to serve. It is love that pours itself out for the other person. This is the love that keeps a marriage together. This is the love that binds a family together. This is the love that will bring true revival to the body of Christ.
We can’t experience this love in the natural. It is only as we lay down our lives, take up the cross and allow the Holy Spirit to fill our lives. Jesus prayed for you and your family. We can continue to pray his prayer and see the fruit in the lives of our children and church.
– verse 26. – verse 24. – verse 22.– verse 17. – verse 13.– verses 15-16 & 11-12.– verse 11 & 21, 22b, 23.
