Daily Scripture: John 17:15 I don’t ask you to take them out of the world, but to protect them from the Evil One. 16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Set them apart for holiness by means of the truth — your word is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 On their behalf I am setting myself apart for holiness, so that they too may be set apart for holiness by means of the truth.
20 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will trust in me because of their word, 21 that they may all be one. Just as you, Father, are united with me and I with you, I pray that they may be united with us, so that the world may believe that you sent me. 22 The glory which you have given to me, I have given to them; so that they may be one, just as we are one — 23 I united with them and you with me, so that they may be completely one, and the world thus realize that you sent me, and that you have loved them just as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am; so that they may see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
Reflection Questions:Praying just before his arrest, Jesus didn’t ask God to take us out of the world’s pain and evil. Scholar William Barclay pointed to the core of Jesus' prayer: “Jesus did not pray that his disciples…might find escape; he prayed that they might find victory….Christianity…does not offer us release from problems, but a way to solve them. It does not offer us an easy peace, but a triumphant warfare. It does not offer us a life in which troubles are escaped and evaded, but a life in which troubles are faced and conquered.” Jesus' prayer was a prayer God can always answers.
- Scholar N. T. Wright pointed to a way Jesus' prayer can deepen and enrich your prayer life: “This prayer…can with only slight variation, be used by Christians of all sorts for themselves. Substitute ‘Jesus’ where the prayer says ‘I’, and replace ‘they’ and ‘them’ with ‘I’ and ‘me,’ and you’ll get the idea. But be careful. This is a serious prayer. It is one of the most serious things Jesus ever said. That’s why, deep down, it is also among the most joyful and hopeful. Pray it with awe, and with delight." Try it. What have you got to lose?
Lord Jesus, I am humbled and amazed that, with the cross right ahead of you, you took the time and energy to pray for me. Help me to seek, and embrace, your offer of victory in life rather than escape from life’s challenges. Amen.
Family Activity
God is always with us, however many times we are not aware of God’s presence. At mealtime, ask each member of your family where he or she saw God that day. If you need to offer further guidance, ask, “Where did you see God at work today?” or “In what or whom did you experience God’s presence today?” Consider establishing this question as part of your daily conversation as a family. You might create a journal or a banner where you can illustrate or write out some of your responses. Each month, review the ways you have each experienced God. Allow these experiences to be opportunities for each person to become increasingly aware of God’s presence in his or her life. Thank God for being a constant and faithful presence.Insights from Brent Messick
Brent Messick is Resurrection’s Managing Executive Director of Operations.
These Scripture verses are part of a larger Scripture passage where Jesus is saying his final farewell in the upper room on the night before his crucifixion. In this prayer, Jesus expresses his desires and concerns for his disciples and for the believers who have come and will come to faith through the witness of the disciples.
One of the things that strikes me about his prayer is its timing. Jesus knows that his death is imminent. And yet, he is not praying for himself. With his death just hours away, Jesus is praying for others and for the future of the church. His example of selfless love in the face of crisis is humbling and incredibly inspiring.
I have become a big believer in the power of prayer. I have tried to discipline my self to pray daily. For myself, I ask for forgiveness for my sins. I thank God for all of the blessings that He has bestowed upon me. I pray for wisdom and guidance that I may honor and glorify Him in my professional and personal lives. And I pray for strength and comfort in times of crisis.
But I believe the real power of prayer comes when I pray for others. I pray for my family, friends, co-workers, and others in good times and in bad. I believe that God listens to our prayers, but His answer may be different than what I am asking for. I fully realize and accept that it is His Will be done, not my Will be done. Nonetheless, I believe that others are still blessed through our prayers for them.
If Jesus, the Son of God, prays to God, then shouldn’t we do the same? Through his life and example, Jesus invites us into a life of prayer. And in the end, I hope that on my death bed, I will follow Jesus’ example and pray for others that they may come to know and love Jesus as I do.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
These Scripture verses are part of a larger Scripture passage where Jesus is saying his final farewell in the upper room on the night before his crucifixion. In this prayer, Jesus expresses his desires and concerns for his disciples and for the believers who have come and will come to faith through the witness of the disciples.
One of the things that strikes me about his prayer is its timing. Jesus knows that his death is imminent. And yet, he is not praying for himself. With his death just hours away, Jesus is praying for others and for the future of the church. His example of selfless love in the face of crisis is humbling and incredibly inspiring.
I have become a big believer in the power of prayer. I have tried to discipline my self to pray daily. For myself, I ask for forgiveness for my sins. I thank God for all of the blessings that He has bestowed upon me. I pray for wisdom and guidance that I may honor and glorify Him in my professional and personal lives. And I pray for strength and comfort in times of crisis.
But I believe the real power of prayer comes when I pray for others. I pray for my family, friends, co-workers, and others in good times and in bad. I believe that God listens to our prayers, but His answer may be different than what I am asking for. I fully realize and accept that it is His Will be done, not my Will be done. Nonetheless, I believe that others are still blessed through our prayers for them.
If Jesus, the Son of God, prays to God, then shouldn’t we do the same? Through his life and example, Jesus invites us into a life of prayer. And in the end, I hope that on my death bed, I will follow Jesus’ example and pray for others that they may come to know and love Jesus as I do.
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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