(John
16:29-33) His disciples said, “Lo, now
You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech. 30 Now we know
that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this
we believe that You came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now
believe? 32 Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be
scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone,
because the Father is with Me. 33 These
things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world
you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
(John
17:1-26) Jesus spoke these things; and
lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify
You, 2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3
This is eternal life, that they may know
You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I glorified
You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5
Now, Father, glorify Me together with
Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
6 “I have
manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were
Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have
come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; 8 for the words
which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly
understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9 I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on
behalf of the world, but of those whom
You have given Me; for they are
Yours; 10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 I am
no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to
You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me,
that they may be one even as We are. 12 While I was with them, I was keeping
them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of
perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
13 But now
I come to You; and these things I speak
in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 I
have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not
of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from
the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word
is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into
the world. 19 For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but
for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even 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 sent Me.
22 The
glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in
Me, that they may be perfected in unity,
so that the world may know that You sent
Me, and loved them, even as You have
loved Me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see
My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of
the world.
25 “O
righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You;
and these have known that You sent Me; 26 and I have made Your name known to
them, and will make it known, so that
the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Reminder:
"praying effectively" involves knowing God's will. When we pray in His will (in His name), He
may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like,
or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!
It is God's will:
- that scripture prophecies are to be fulfilled,
therefore Jesus made sure that the disciples were protected, as well as allowed
Judas to be among them until he betrayed Jesus, in order that Jesus would be
sent to the cross (Jn.17:12)
- that God is glorified through the works of Jesus
(Jn.17:1-2)
- that Jesus is glorified, as He is part of the Trinity
(Jn.17:5)
- that through the works of Jesus, those who believe are
given eternal life (Jn.17:2)
- that God protects His children and guarantees eternal
life (Jn.17:9-11, 23-24)
- that God desires that we should know the only true God
and Jesus Christ, God's Son (Jn.17:3)
- that believers are sanctified (made holy) through Jesus
(Jn.17:19)
- that Jesus prays for us (Jn.17:9-11, 20-23)
- that Jesus prays for us to be sanctified in the truth
which is God's word (Jn.17:17-19)
- that Jesus prays for our protection from the evil one
(Jn.17:15-16)
- that Jesus prays that as we are sent into the world, we
will not be of the world (Jn.17:15, 18)
- that God desires that the world will get to know Jesus
through how all believers are unified in Him (Jn.17:21-23)
- that all believers should be unified in Christ
(Jn.17:21-23)
- that we should experience God's love in us, by having
Jesus in our hearts (Jn.17:25-26)
- that we should experience peace through what Jesus
tells us (Jn.16:33)
- that we should experience fulfillment and joy through
what Jesus tells us (Jn.17:13)
Today's prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for giving us prophecies which have been
fulfilled, so that we may have confidence in You and in Your word, that
everything You say is truth. May the
world see this proof and believe in You.
Thank You for Your work on the cross to make salvation and eternal life
possible - as a gift - to those who believe.
Help us not to run away from the world, thinking that we
will be protected in isolation; but help
us stay in the world, and not of the world.
Help us remember that we are in and of You, and that You pray for our
protection. Help us embrace the peace,
joy and fulfillment only found in You.
Help and guide Your Church to work together in love, truth and unity, so
that the world will see a difference in us and what to know more about
You. Amen.
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