Today we continue our series, “As Jesus Is”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been looking at 1 John 4:16,17 for over a month now. A little over a week ago, I told you that I would add to this passage: John 14, John 17 and Philippians 2. We looked at John 14 already. Today we will start to look at John 17.
What most people call “The Lord’s Prayer” is a model prayer Jesus gave His disciples when they asked Him to teach them to pray (Matthew 6). John 17, however, captures a prayer Jesus actually prayed. Many believers, myself included, consider John 17 to be the actual “Lord’s prayer”. Please read the entire prayer on your own time. I will pull out a few snippets from the prayer for the purposes of this series. So let’s get to it.
The Apostle John said:
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)
The True Lord’s Prayer (John 17)
(verses 1-5)
After Jesus said these things, he looked toward heaven and prayed, “Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you. You gave the Son power over all people so that he could give eternal life to all those you have given to him. And this is eternal life: that people can know you, the only true God, and that they can know Jesus Christ, the one you sent. I finished the work you gave me to do. I brought you glory on earth. And now, Father, give me glory with you. Give me the glory I had with you before the world was made.
(verses 15-23)
“I am not asking you to take them out of the world. But I am asking that you keep them safe from the Evil One. They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. Make them ready for your service through your truth. Your teaching is truth. I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. I am making myself completely ready to serve you. I do this for them, so that they also might be fully qualified for your service.
“I pray not only for these followers but also for those who will believe in me because of their teaching. Father, I pray that all who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me. I gave them this glory so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. I will be in them, and you will be in me. So they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me.
So what does this mean to you today? As I introduce John 17 to you, I will share a few thoughts under the main thought: ONE with God.
- In Jesus’ prayer (John 17), He prayed, “Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you.” He was basically praying, “Glorify me, that I may glorify thee!” Jesus could pray this prayer without reservation, because He saw Himself as ONE with the Father. Later in the prayer, He prayed that we too would be ONE with the Father. When you get to the point where you truly see yourself as ONE with God, you can ask Him to glorify you, without reservation, because glorifying you would mean glorifying Him!
- When you see yourself as ONE with the Father and there is no separation between you and Him, then you can ask Him to favor you, bless you, advance you, and make your name great. Because in so doing, you will bring Him glory in the earth. This is the way we are supposed to live.
- Two chapters before Jesus’ prayer (John 17), Jesus taught His disciples to literally LIVE in Him. He said, “If you LIVE in me, and my words LIVE in you, then you can ask for whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). Jesus was teaching that we can actually get to the point where we can be ONE with the Father, so much so, that we can ask for whatever we want. Because at that point, what we want is what He wants. The goal is to get to the point where His will IS our will. This is why it is so critical that you see yourself AS JESUS IS, in this world!
- When you get to the point where you see yourself AS JESUS IS — not in heaven, but in this world — and you know your will has been conformed to His will, you can ask for whatever you want, because you have died to selfish desires. Your life, at this point, is all about Him! You live to bring glory to His name. The more He glorifies you, the more you can glorify Him! This is the way our God wants us to live in this world!
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am IN You and You are IN me. I abide IN You and Your Words abide IN me. I am ONE with You and You are ONE with me. I have died to me, myself and I. I have died to selfish desires. My life is all about You! Therefore, I declare, that as You glorify me, I am able to glorify thee, in this world! There is no separation between You and me. You bless me, favor me, increase me, advance me, and make my name great. In so doing, You are bringing glory to Your own name, because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
