“I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.” - John 17:9
It is comforting to know that someone is praying for you. Whether it is your spouse, your pastor or a close friend, it is good to have someone who cares enough to call out your name in prayer.
There are people who seem to have a special burden about intercessory prayer. They treat prayer requests seriously. If you ask them to pray about something, they will reach heaven on your behalf. These precious saints often engage in spiritual warfare on their knees. To them, prayer is more than a religious task or a personal discipline, it is their passion.
Where are such prayer warriors today? The church is in dire need of men and women who will get in the prayer closet and meet with God on a regular basis. When a person has the audience of God, their feeble prayers touch deity.
As I get older, certain things don't impress me like they used to. When I was a young Christian, I was impressed with mega-church pastors who saw their churches grow numerically at a significant rate. I was impressed with those who talked about their spiritual accomplishments. I am not as impressed with these things like I used to be. Some of the “numerical growth” that some bragged about turned out to be temporary and superficial. Others who eagerly shared phenomenal experiences have turned out to have major character flaws that ruined their ministries.
The things that are most impressive to me usually aren't seen or noticed by others. Such things as a strong prayer life, generosity and private piety. While we may catch a glimpse of these things, they tend to be conducted in private, away from the public gaze. While our society emphasizes external matters, God looks upon the heart. He sees the things done in private. He knows about the quality of our faith and the pureness of our motives. Such things please Him and impress me. These are things I want my life to exhibit in private before the Lord.
For some time, I've been writing about the prayers of Jesus. When our Lord prayed in public, His prayers were short in duration. His private prayers were often long. Many of these longer prayers are not recorded for us to read. In John 17, we find the longest recorded prayer of Jesus. We get a little snapshot of our Lord's prayers. Most of this prayer is a time of intercession for His disciples.
In our text, Jesus prayed, “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.” Jesus was referring to His disciples when He said, “I pray for them.”
Why did Jesus pray for His disciples? There may be numerous answers to this question, but let me give you the most obvious reason. He prayed for His disciples because they needed it. They needed His prayers. They were about to face uncertainty, confusion and desperation because of the arrest and execution of Jesus. Furthermore, there would be the time gap between the crucifixion and resurrection which would deepen their anxiety and pain. Ultimately, the future of the church and the advancement of the Gospel would be their responsibility. Yes, they needed the prayers of Jesus.
Notice that Jesus did not pray for the unbelieving world. That may seem strange for us. Most of us are praying for the conversion of many. Yet at this time, Jesus concentrated on His disciples, not the skeptics. The disciples were His close friends. He had invested a great deal of time with them. In earlier verses of this prayer, we learn that the Father had given these men to Him. Jesus dedicated much of His prayer to the men who had given up everything to follow Him.
I think it is great to have others pray for you, especially strong prayer warriors. To have your name on their hearts daily as they talk with God is a special blessing. Think of how great it is to know that your name is on the Master's heart and to know that He talks to the Father on your behalf. What a blessing that would be!
Yet even know, our Lord makes intercession for us. As the enemy accuses us to the Father, we have an advocate who speaks up in our defense. We have a friend in the highest position, interceding on our behalf.
There has never been an intercessor like Jesus. His intercessory ministry continues to this day. While we find great assurance and comfort in this fact, it should also motivate us to be an intercessor ourselves.
Jesus prayed for His disciples. Because we follow Him, He is praying for us right now.
What a blessing to know He is praying for me!
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