The Most Amazing Prayer In The Bible Series

“THE MOST AMAZING PRAYER IN THE BIBLE” John 17

FBCF – 4/2/23

Jon Daniels

INTRO – John 17

The last several weeks in REFRESH have been awesome. We’ve had some powerful times of corporate prayer, crying out to God in praise, confession of sin, & interceding for lots of people – some who have been present in those services & others not present.

- Prayed for some whose marriages & families are struggling

- Prayed for some w/ physical illnesses

- Prayed for tornado victims

- Prayed for families of Nashville school shooting victims - & the family of the person who did the shooting

- Prayed for Rodney & Jennie Mullen the moment we got word that their house was on fire Wed evening

There is something powerful & special about HEARING people pray. I know that not everyone feels comfortable praying out loud & in public – usually b/c we don’t think we know how to pray “pretty” prayers or “impressive” prayers. Can I put your mind at ease about that? God doesn’t care if you can pray prayers that sound like you’re a seminary-trained theologian. He doesn’t care if you use words like “Thee” & “Thou”. How many of you speak Old English in your everyday language? I don’t think you’re going to hear many folks around Flora, MS, saying things like:

- “Didst thou goeth turkey hunting upon yesterday morn?”

- “I ask thee: Wouldst thou like to proceedth from this place unto Railroad Pizza that we might breaketh bread together, especially the Dump Truck pizza that they doth prepare?”

Don’t think so! So why do we think we’ve got to pray fancy, pretty prayers back to God? Jesus made it clear that, if you’re praying to impress the people around you, you’re praying for the wrong reasons & God’s not listening.

With that being said, there is something very encouraging about hearing others praying.

- Sometimes we learn how to pray by listening to others pray.

o Prayer meeting at IBC

- We are strengthened in our inner being – our inner spiritual lives

- We are encouraged & uplifted

- REFRESH group gathered around me this past Wed night & prayed for me – what a blessing & encouragement to a Pastor to have a church FAMILY that will intentionally lift me up in my time of need!

Now imagine what it’s like to hear JESUS praying for you!

- “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies.” (Robert Murray McCheyne)

Truth is: We don’t have to imagine hearing Jesus praying for us – He DID pray for us & He IS praying for us!

EXPLANATION – John 17 is known as the High Priestly Prayer. The office of high priest was instituted by God when He gave Moses the Law for the people. The High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement to offer sacrifices that would temporarily cover the sins of the people. All of this was a picture of Jesus.

- When He came, He offered Himself as the ultimate perfect sacrifice for ALL of our sins for ALL time.

- It wasn’t a temporary covering of our sins – It was the complete once-for-all sacrifice for all the sins of all mankind for all time.

o Hebrews 10:10 – “Under this new plan we have been forgiven and made clean by Christ’s dying for us once and for all.” (TLB)

- Jesus is the ultimate, perfect sacrifice. And He’s the ultimate, perfect High Priest.

o Only Jesus can intercede for us

o Only Jesus can be the sacrifice

o Only Jesus can take our place

o Hebrews 4:14-16 – “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

After His Last Supper w/ His disciples, He voices this amazing prayer. He had just told them to expect tribulation to come. He had just told them to take heart b/c He has overcome the world. And then He lifts His eyes to the Father & voices this prayer.

- Wasn’t a silent, private prayer – “Just between me & the Lord”

- Wasn’t an “every head bowed, every eye closed” prayer

It was a bold, powerful, moving prayer that had to have blown the disciples away to hear Him praying like this.