Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- Example of the Missionary James Fraser
- Prayer is powerful
- Though is may seem passive
- It was much more effective than much activity
- Jesus models God-centred prayer in John 17
- For God’s purposes to be achieved
- Submitting to God’s will for His glory
- For God to be glorified
- Jesus prays for Himself and His disciples
Jesus Prays for Himself (v1-5)
- Jesus has been teaching His disciples that they will have trouble, but they can trust Jesus because He has overcome the world
- He looks towards heaven as He prays (v1)
- He comes to His appointed time and prays for God’s purposes (v1-2)
- The hour of the cross is actually glorious
- Jesus will glorify the Father by going to the cross
- The Father will glorify Jesus by raising Him from the dead
- Jesus’ purpose was the cross
- We should learn God’s purposes in His word
- We should remind God of His purposes (2 Pet 3:9)
- He knows God through prayer (v3)
- John 3:16
- Prayer should be central to the Christian life
- God speaks to us through His word, our conscience and sometimes through the circumstances of our lives
- We speak to God in prayer
- Jesus obeys God (v4)
- In His work unto the cross
- We should obey God
- If we are in disobedience, our prayers will be hindered
- Jesus is glorified (v5)
- Prayer should seek that God and Jesus should be glorified
- How do our prayer lives match up?
- Are we concerned with the glory of the Father and the Son?
- Are we praying that all those given on the Son might be saved?
- Are we praying for those around us that they may know God as Father and Jesus as Saviour?
- Is our prayer life accompanied by obedience?
Jesus Prays for His disciples (v6-19)
- Jesus’ prayer for His immediate disciples
- He prays for us (Christians throughout the ages) in v20 and following
- Example of James Fraser – he did not have a charmed life
- The way of the cross is to maturity and fruitfulness
- Jesus had to suffer, we had to suffer
- The Father gave the disciples to His Son (v6)
- Jesus reveals the Father to the disciples
- We are given to the Son to live lives of obedience
- We are to reveal the Son to the world
- Prayer and evangelism – 2 sides of the same coin
- Jesus’ miracles are from the Father – John 5:19
- We need the power of God – we can do nothing of eternal consequence by ourselves
- We join in God’s work to save a people for Himself
- This should drive us to prayer and to speak for Him
- Jesus gave the Father’s words to the disciples (v8)
- Belief in Jesus is foundational – saving faith
- Jesus prays for His disciples (v19)
- We should pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ
- We should pray for our church leaders
- Jesus prays for His disciples protection (v11)
- From the persecuting authorities, the spiritual battle and disunity
- Jesus prays for His disciples unity (v11)
- Disunity is painful
- We must pray for unity
- Jesus kept the disciples in God’s name (v12)
- There is authority in Jesus’ name
- Jesus lost none of His disciples
- Jesus prays for joy in His disciples (v13)
- His disciples should have a full measure of joy
- Joy is necessary because the world hates the disciples
- Joy is necessary to live for Jesus in a world that hates Jesus
- Jesus prays for protection against satan (v15)
- We are aliens and strangers in a hostile environment
- We need to pray for one another
- Jesus prays for sanctification (v17)
- It is often said – justification happens in a moment but sanctification takes a lifetime
- Prayer and the Word are necessary for sanctification
- Jesus was sent into the world to save a people
- The disciples are sent into the world for the same reason
- Christians are sent into the world for the same reason
- Much prayer is needed
- Jesus sets Himself apart so He can fulfil the Father’s will
- It depends upon prayer
Closing Remarks
- Two ways to pray
- Jesus models God centred prayers
- This takes discipline
- We need to know God’s word
- We need to live obedient lives
- We need to set aside time to pray