Life of Prayer - John 17

John 17:1-26

Prayer is communicating with God.

types of prayer

scripted/written

Personal petitions and Request

Communing

praying in spirit

intercession

Jesus was a man of prayer.

often, Jesus withdrew from life’s routine and requirements to pray. there is always something that takes your attention from prayer.

….prayer is about devoting attention to God, as we devert it away from our world.

prayer isn’t about convenience, it’s about consecrated priority.

…prayer rightly orders our loves, priorities, and view of ourselves.

…ever wondered - what is wrong with society? Society is led by it’s leaders. As the home goes, so goes society.

…men stopped leading their kids and serving their wives.

…wives stopped loving their husbands and training their kids.

we’ve given our homes over to idols of the day…

acedemics and athletics over spiritual maturity

entertainment for encounters with God.

Jesus was a perfect embodiment of the masculine soul.

Men (those mature) live by priorities and pre-decided principles, shaped by prayerful soul. Right-sized life; rightly ordered life thru prayer.

1 Corinthians 13:11 — “11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things.”

Men, like Jesus, prioritize prayer.

1 Timothy 2:1–4; 8 (CSB) — 1 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth….8 Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.

Men, today, tend to live in: half-hearted apathy or hard-hearted aggression. Yet, God wants us to life with Holy Ambition.

Prayer awakens Holy Ambition.

time to stop being more consumed by culture wars and more engaged in spiritual battle.

quit being a infected with the yeast of Herod, assimilating your life to look like the world.

men need a battle. it’s a spiritual one.

men need to shake off apathy, step into their assignment as men of God who lead in their family. You lead your family to be good at sports but not good and reading the scriptures. Your teaching them ways of the world but not eternal ones. I know, no one taught you either…i’m sorry for that. But this is your battle to win.

we need to shake off apathy and agression, be awakened to a holy ambition. You may feel like your succeeding in worldy standards, but you still dont feel like you’re winning in life? Thats because you were made for God-honoring calling and holy ambition not worldly ambition.

men, you were made for glory…God’s glory not glory from the world.

Jesus modeled intercession and communing prayer.

Intercession

between someone and God…a go-between.

Intercession is to bring petitions/request to God on behalf of others.

motivated by love

sincere desire for God’s Glory to be seen

protection from the enemy schemes

specific

We are invited us to intercede on behalf of others. Who needs your intercession this week?

Communing Prayer

it’s okay to pray for yourself to be restored in your communion with God

remove anything keeping us from eternal life of union with God

1 Timothy 6:11–12 (CSB) — 11 But you, man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of eternal life to which you were called and about which you have made a good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

take hold of eternal life…which is to know God (jn 17:3)

Components of Communing:

Shallows - distraction…He looked to heaven

Midlands - cast your cares; surrender…ask God to remove hurdles

Depths - enjoy communion; presence and glory; love

Speak praise/adoration.

Surrender/release it all to God

Soak up His love.

Prayer is verbal, not silent.

thinking isn’t prayer…it might be worry…it might be listening, but it’s not prayer.

you can’t meditate, biblically speaking, in silence either. You can imagine and visualize, but not biblically mediate in silence….meditation means to “mutter to one’s self”

Prayer is not silent, so pray out loud.

jesus is not modeling prayer so we can compare how we pray with how others pray…

prayer is you being you, talking to God like you, not like me.

Pray about everything.

Philippians 4:6–7 “6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

…NIV says - pray about everything.

prayer is like oxygen for the soul.

prayer is never a last resorts; pray first

pray on-goingly

pray honestly

pray as overflow of devotion to God

Every moment is an opportunity to divert attention from the world toward devotion to God.

Prayer is powerful.

Jesus prayed about some big things.

it changes us, and it invites God to work.

Jesus knew there was power in prayer.

we struggle with sinfulness because we live by will-power. But you cannot overcome spiritual forces and sin with will power. You need the spirit’s power.

Prayer is for you.

Jesus gives us glory….HS presence and union (eternal life)

It’s powerful, when you pray…so pray.

The prayer YOU pray is more powerful than the one you INTENDED to pray or thought about praying.

Two big reasons we don’t pray: (1) we dont believe it really works for us (2) we don’t like being vulnerable

Illus: For years, i resisting praying in a personal way, because of reason 2

1 Tim. 6:12 - Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of eternal life to which you were called and about which you have made a good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Jn 17:21-23 — May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

John 17:3 — “3 This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ.”

Revelation 3:20 — “See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

illus: Brittany’s vision - ancient door with ancient keys, knocking and a voice…the key to everything is surrender.

Do you know the Father and Son?

Prayer helps you know their presence, voice and power as you surrender to Him.

THIS WEEK SURENDER in Prayer…divert your attention to devotion

Pick a time

Pick a place

Pick a process

Pray out loud.

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Talk it Over (being honest & open with friends, a spouse, or your Group)

The message was about the Jesus modeling a life of prayer. What is one idea from Sunday’s message that impacted you?

Read John 17 as a group. What is the Holy Spirit saying through these verses?

How can you prioritize your prayer life to align more with Jesus’ example?

What distractions from prayer do you need to address in your life?

Why do you think it’s import to pray out loud?

What is the significance of understanding eternal life as knowing God, based on John 17:3?

What does having a 'Holy Ambition' look like in your life ?

Read Philippians 4:6-7. What are some things the Holy Spirit is speaking to us in these verses?