This week, I want us to take a close look at the Lord’s prayer. Now you may be thinking that I’m talking about the prayer which starts out, “Our Father who art in heaven.” Actually, that is not a prayer that Jesus prayed. The disciples had asked Hm to teach them to pray. So He said. “When you pray pray like this…” Jesus was simply giving them a model of what the makeup of prayer should look like.

I’m talking about the prayer that Jesus prayed shortly before He went to the cross. Some call it, “The High-Priestly Prayer.” It’s found in John chapter 17. This is an amazing prayer where the Eternal Son is speaking with the Eternal Father. C.S. Lewis says that if you look closely you will see the Holy Spirit dancing with joy between the Father and the Son.

This takes place following the symbolic washing of the disciples’ feet (John 13:1–30) and His private instruction of the apostles (John 14–16).

In the last verse in chapter 16, Jesus had ended His teaching of the disciples with a shout of victory: John 16:33 “I have overcome the world.” This was in anticipation of His work on the cross. Throughout His ministry, Jesus’ work was done in obedience to the Father’s will (cf. Luke 4:42; 6:12; 11:1; Matt. 26:36).

As He turned again to His Father, He prayed first for Himself (John 17:1–5), then for His apostles (vv. 6–19), and finally for future believers (vv. 20–26).

So, as we come to this High-Priestly prayer of the Lord Jesus, we see that in this prayer, He made intercession for His own. It is a picture of His present ministry in heaven where He prays for His people.

Marcus Rainsford puts it well:
“The whole prayer is a beautiful illustration of our blessed Lord’s intercession at the right hand of God. Not a word against His people; no reference to their failings, or their shortcomings.… No. He speaks of them only as they were in the Father’s purpose, as in association with Himself, and as the recipients of the fulness He came down from heaven to bestow upon them.… All the Lord’s particular petitions for His people relate to spiritual things; all have reference to heavenly blessings. The Lord does not ask riches for them, or honours, or worldly influence, or great preferments, but He does most earnestly pray that they may be kept from evil, separated from the world, qualified for duty, and brought home safely to heaven. Soul prosperity is the best prosperity; it is the index of true prosperity.”

~ Marcus Rainsford, Our Lord Prays for His Own, p. 173.

I want to encourage you this week to read John chapter 17 over and over and over again. I promise you, it will reinvigorate your life.