Jesus was praying in John 17. He began His High Priestly prayer as He lifted His eyes to heaven with, ‘Father the hour is come’. Jesus was coming to the end of His earthly ministry. He was entering into the most difficult time of His life-which was His death. He was leaving and was going to leave those He loved. This prayer gives us a view into the soul of our Savior. Jesus prays about what is in His heart. Isn’t that the way it should be? Shouldn’t we follow the example of Christ and share our heart with Him? We need to share what concerns us and what is in our heart. WE MUST PRAY, FOR THE HOUR HAS COME.
If we want to know what is important to an individual, we need to listen to them pray. Jesus was spending His last hours with His disciples. He knows He is going to be put on trial, beaten beyond recognition, and death by being nailed to an old wooden cross. Yet He does not pray for protection. He does not pray for a change in who is King. He does not pray for a conservative agenda. He does not pray for a new government. He does not pray for ten thousand angels to come and release Him or have revenge on His enemies. Jesus had died already to all these things that seem to get our attention.
The things that seem to get our attention and even cause controversy are no longer over doctrines such as grace and forgiveness. We might hear every once in a while, about infant baptism, the sanctity of life or even the deity of Christ or the work of the Holy Spirit. These in my heart are important matters, but our attention, and therefore our prayers, seem to be directed to matters of much less importance or in most cases not important at all. Such as our worship styles or the kind of music we sing - do we have drums or guitars? Do we only have the piano or maybe an organ? What version or translation are you using? The choosing of a program? The color of the nursery or bathroom? These seem to be what is being prayed over rather than what Jesus was praying. What was important to Christ needs to be what is important to me for my prayer life.
Jesus prayed for:
- To Glorify Christ – To glorify Jesus Christ is the main longing for every believer. In one of Steven Covey’s books, he states ‘the main thing in any organization is to keep the main thing the main thing. To glorify Christ should be the purpose of anything and everything we do. Not our own gain, but what will bring glory to God.
- Worship – Not for our own enjoyment but for God’s pleasure.
- Unity – Not for our own personal peace but for the peace of God. Where there is fulfilled purpose to glorify Christ there is unity.
- Holiness – This is the will of God and therefore we glorify Christ in living a cleansed life.
- Evangelism – We are all witnesses, and this is what pleases God. Jesus is the only one who can save, but being a witness brings glory to Him.
As summer comes to an end and we get back into our routines, my hope is that we will commit ourselves to prayer. Nothing of the Lord will take place without prayer. Even in this confused and darkened world I believe we will find strength and joy through the power and comfort of prayer. The disciples once asked Jesus to teach them to pray. The hour has come for us to ask the Lord to teach us to pray.
Matthew 6:9-13
In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.