INTRODUCTION
• In our first message we talked about Jesus teaching through a model prayer that we call “The Lord’s Prayer”.
• In our second message we discussed three of His prayers. They were:
1. His Prayer at His Baptism
2. His Prayer before multiplying the 5 loaves and the 2 fish
3. His Prayer on the Mount of Transfiguration
• Today we will be discussing…
1. His Prayers for His disciples and us
2. His Prayer before raising Lazarus from the dead
3. The Prayer that Jesus prayed for us!
I. JESUS PRAYED FOR HIS DISCIPLES
A. Before Choosing His Disciples - Luke 6:12
1. We need to pray before making life altering decisions
B. When His disciples returned from a ministry trip - Luke 10:21
1. He never sends us out alone
Isaiah 43:2-3 - MSG
2 When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end—
3 Because I am GOD, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
C. Jesus is praying for YOU RIGHT NOW! - Hebrews 7:25
II. JESUS PRAYED AT THE TOMB OF LAZARUS - LUKE 11:41-42
A. Notice that Jesus said, “Father, I know you hear me…” BEFORE Lazarus was raised from the dead.
1. Jesus is a faith man! (The emotions were there… “Jesus Wept”… but He didn’t let His emotions stop Him from operating in faith)
a) There is a difference in faith and “mental ascent”.
b) Mental Ascent (Knowledge) says, “God, I know You can…” (Knowledge causes us to PLEAD with God)
c) Faith says, “God I know You did…” (Faith causes us to STAND on the Word of God)
B. This was a very public prayer for the purpose of people seeing the power of God on display.
1. A very honest person will tell you that they don’t know why God answers some prayers and others He doesn’t. The only thing I can say to help us TRY to understand, is that God knows our end from our beginning and HE KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR ALL OF US…
III. THE PRAYER THAT JESUS PRAYED FOR US. - JOHN 17:1-26
John 17:9 I pray for them (us): I pray not for the world, but for them (us) which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
A. V.3 - Jesus prayed that we may know God and also know Him
1. He declared that He had glorified God and communicated to humanity that God was real and in charge.
B. Jesus prayed for us.
1. V.11 - (Unity) Keep them and make them one as we are…
2. V.13 - (Joy) May they have my (Christ’s) joy fulfilled in them (I’ve given them thy Word and the world hates them but give them joy!)
3. V.15 - (Deliverance) Keep them from the evil in the world
4. V.17 - (Set Apart) Sanctify them through thy truth
5. V.20 - Jesus prayed for all who would receive Him (that’s us!)
6. V.23 - Jesus prayed for divine unity with the Father
7. V.24 - (Glory) Jesus prayed that we would see His glory that was given to Him by His Father!
8. V.26 - (Love) Last of all, He prayed that the Love of God would be in us as it was in in… (compassionate, sacrificial, uncompromising love)
Just Think… JESUS PRAYED FOR YOU!!!
CLOSING
• It’s God’s greatest desire for us to know Him.
• God craves relationship.
• Won’t you give your life to Him today?
