The prayers of Jesus in the Gospel of John have always been some of my favorite passages of Scripture. In John 17:17 we have a very powerful Truth that answers the question that many of us have been asked by others: "What IS Truth"?
17 Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth.
The Word of God is our TRUTH! It is our standard, our paradigm, our paragon! Jesus is saying here that the Word of God is able to 'sanctify' us! To sanctify means to set apart! It is setting someone apart FROM the world and UNTO God! So, John 17:17 is a MOST powerful prayer! AND, JESUS prayed this prayer - for US! John 17:20-21:
20 Neither for these alone do I pray [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching, 21 That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me.
That means us! Something else that Jesus prayed is found in verses 14-15 and, if you are paying attention, this should be extremely exciting to you!
14 I have given and delivered to them Your word (message) and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world [do not belong to the world], just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one.
Christian persecution is no new thing! The same evil spirits that were present during the ministry of Jesus on the earth are still present and active today! There are people all over the world who have been imprisoned, tortured and even murdered for their faith! BUT, faith in the above prayer that Jesus prayed, FOR US, should bring protection, provision and safety to God's people, even under the most dire of circumstances! After all, IS the arm of the Lord shortened? Isaiah 59:1:
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened at all, that it cannot save, nor His ear dull with deafness, that it cannot hear.
1 John 5:14-15 gives us this promise:
14 And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. 15 And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.
Well, the Lord HEARD that prayer that JESUS prayed so very long ago - FOR US! It IS in line with His Word, which IS TRUTH! So, according to 1 John 5:14-15, JESUS received, and continues to receive, exactly what He prayed for us all! EXPECT protection, provision and safety because of JESUS' answered prayer and then get into the Word of God so that Holy Spirit and the Word can show you just what belongs to YOU as a born again child of the Living God! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "BEHOLD (Then Sings My Soul)":
Shalom in Him!
