Jesus Prayed For You, Pt 1 - No.20

John 17:9, “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.” 

My heart is touched when 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 again when you can. In the meantime, we’ll look at some of the specific things that Jesus prayed for us.

1. THAT YOU WILL BE UNITED AS ONE – verse 11 & 21, 22b, 23. 

“That they may be one, as we are.” 

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 – verses 15-16 & 11-12.

“I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”

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. 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 – verse 13. 

“That they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” 

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 might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

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.

We’ll look at more next week.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Dear Lord Jesus, I thank you for praying for me. I thank you that right now you are interceding for  me at the right hand of the Father. I yield myself to you that your desires for me will be worked out in my life and in my home. Thank you, Lord. Amen.”

QUOTE: