Day 19: Jesus’ Priestly Prayer

Read John 17. This is referred to as The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus.  It is only 650 words and takes a person only 3 minutes and 30 seconds to read it. It is enlightening and encouraging, but the sheer number of petitions in such a short order can also be confusing. Let’s break it down a bit: 

The Father gave the Son... 

• Authority to give eternal life 
• People of this world 
• Work to accomplish 
• Words 
• His name 
• Glory 

The Son gives believers... 

• Eternal life 
• The Father's word 
• Manifestation of the Father’s name 
• Glory

The Son asks the Father to... 

• Glorify him 
• Keep believers in the Father's name 
• Keep believers from the evil one 
• Sanctify believers in the truth 
• Make believers one 

Jesus’ followers and the world... 

• They are sent into the world 
• They are in the world but not of it 
• The world has hated them 
• Their unity with each other in union with God may cause the world to believe that the Father sent the Son 

The value of this High Priestly Prayer of Jesus teaches us how we should imitate our great cohort as He approaches our Father. 

Prayer Prompts:
1. Thank God the Father is in the Son (verses 21 and 23), the Son is in the Father (verse 21), and that believers are in BOTH the Father and the Son (verse 21).
2. Declare that God has called us to unity and gives us His power through the Holy Spirit to live in unity with one another.  
3. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to yourself any attitudes which are contrary to the attitude and prayer of Jesus.
4. Turn from those thoughts and claim the words of Jesus’ prayer as the pattern by which you want to live your life today, this week, and beyond - until it becomes your routine in thought, word, and deed.
The writer of Hebrews 4:15 tells us that: “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.”
Be encouraged as you accept the challenge to live as Jesus, our High Priest.