When God Prays

You can tell a lot about a person by the way they pray.

Two men were adrift in an open boat in the ocean and it looked like the end. For days they had been drifting. Nobody had shown up, and they were dry, they were hungry, and the sun was beating down, and they knew the end had come.

One of the men knelt down in the boat and prayed:  "Oh Lord, I've broken most of your commandments. I've been a hard drinker, but if my life is spared now I'll promise you that I never will again . . ."

And about that time his companion tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Wait a minute Jack. Don't go too far. I think I hear a boat coming."

d.   Here was a man who made deals, and he figured he could make deals with God.

Here was a man who made deals, and he figured he could make deals with God.

You can tell a lot about a person by the way they pray

When Robert Louis Stevenson was a boy he once remarked to his mother, "Momma, you can't be good without praying." "How do you know, Robert?" she asked. "Because I've tried!" he answered. This brings to mind a story about another little fellow -- one who had been sent to his room because he had been bad. A short time later he came out and said to his mother, "I've been thinking about what I did and I said a prayer." "That's fine," she said, "if you ask God to make you good, He will help you." "Oh, I didn't ask Him to help me be good," replied the boy. "I asked Him to help you put up with me."

We come this morning to the “REAL LORD’S PRAYER” in . You will notice that his is differnt from whta is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer in . This was a prayer given to the disicples as an example when asked how to pray. So this prayer would more accurately be called ‘The Disciples Prayer”

But in we find a much more intimae personal prayer. We find a converstaion inside the Trinity. God is Praying to God! Take a moment and let that fact wash over you.

Former NFL football player Bill Glass had a son named John—an all-state athlete in the eleventh grade, a 250-pound bruiser, the apple of his father's eye.

Then John had a knee injury that put him out for months and in the hospital for weeks. One time Bill came home and couldn't find John. Upstairs he noticed the door to his son's room was cracked just a bit, and his son was on the bed sobbing as if his heart would break. 

Bill said, "As I listened to my son cry, I wanted to do something, but I didn't know what to say. So I stood outside that door and listened to him sob, and I said to myself, I will go in to my son and say to him, "John it's OK, son. We're going to lick this thing. Were going to ask the Lord to lead us. We will find the best doctors. We're going to lick this thing." 

So Bill finally pushed the door open, walked in, and then he started crying. He put his hand on his son's shoulder, and the son looked up and noticed his dad crying and said, "Dad, it's OK. We're going to lick this thing. We'll ask the Lord to lead us, and we're going to be all right."

In other words, the son said to the father what the father was going to say to the son.

Something like that is happening in .

We see a relationship so intimate that before the petition poured forth from the Son, it was in the mind of the Father.

What a beautiful relationship, and more important, it is the relationship God the Father would have us have with the Son in our intimate prayers.

We ought to pray, "Father draw me so close to you by your grace that I make no requests, utter no sentence, make no appeal except the request, the sentence, the appeal that which you would have me make." 

Prayer is not an exercise in getting, it is an experiment in intimacy.

And did you notice a difference in this prayer and the Disciples Prayer in ? There is no confession of sin. Jesus was sinless, therefore there was not sin that he had to get right before God. He was the spotless lamb that had been pictured year after year at the passover feast, who had come to by the sacrifice that would pay the sin debt for you and for me.

As we take a few minutes this morning and examine the prayer that Christ prayed on the night of his passion, Lets Consider the God that Prayed it!

Jesus Prayed For Himself

John 17:1–5 KJV 1900

1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Jesus knows that his the time has come. The time that his he has been moving toward his entire life. Actually all of history has been moving to this night, when the savior of the world would redeem mankind from sin.

Jesus

His Desire Was Gods Glory

Notice in Verse 1 Jesus says “Glorify thy son, that thy son also may glorify thee.” His purpose was to glorify God and one why he was going to do that was to show His Glory to the world.

To Glorify something means to make manifest hidden values or riches. The son gets its Glory from the gases that make it come being consumed and made manifest in a brilliant light.

John 1:14 KJV 1900

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The Glory of Christ is seen in two things “Grace” and “Truth” and each of these were made manifest to the world on the cross. His Grace through our redemption and the truth of God’s Word were on display for all to see.

And this He said would bring Glory to God. To be used up by God for his will was Christ purpose and would be what would bring Him and the Father Glory.

We often times want center stage, for others to talk about how great we are and give us the Glory which we keep for ourselves. If we are to follow the pattern of Christ, we should be willing to spend and be spent for the cause of the Gospel to show the World The Grace and Truth of Christ. Paul Said

Galatians 6:14 KJV 1900

14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

His Desire Was Man’s Redemption

John 17:2–4 KJV 1900

2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

All of history has lead to this night. In a few hours Jesus would go through a mock trial where he would be convicted and sentenced to the Cross. He would be beaten and mocked and then in the end, take the long road that led to Golgotha, all for our redemption.

Notice what verse 2 says ‘That he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.’

Jesus treasures each of us that have been given him. When we trust in Christ as savior we become his for eternity given to him by God since he is the one who paid our ransom. The word given means to be deposited into an account.

On the first of every month, military retirees have a deposit into their account for their sacrifice to their country for 20 or more years. Their Sacrifice was made and now for the rest of their lives, they enjoy fruits of that sacrifice. This is, in a very small way, similar to the Deposit of redeemed sinners to the Savior by the father. HIs Sacrifice was finished, nothing more has to be done, but for the sinner to cry out God and accept the atoning sacrifice for their sin, and when that is done, we are Christ’s!

Verse 4 Jesus says that he finished the work that God gave him to do. All of the interactions he had with people, the woman at the well, the man at the pool of Bethesda, Lazarus and his sisters, all of the teaching that needed to be taught was done and now He was ready to be offered. He had done all that was required of him to that point, all that was left was calvary. All of this for the redemption of mankind.

Jesus Prayed For His Disciples

John 17:6–19 KJV 1900

6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. 7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. 8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. 9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. 10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. 11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

John 17:6-

He Prayed for them Specifically

Notice in verse 9 he says that he is not praying for the world, but for those who he had called out of the world to follow him.

Jesus knew what was before them.

John 16:2 KJV 1900

2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

John 16:

Their entire world was about to change. They would be kicked out of the synagogues, what they had trusted in their entire life to lead them to God.

They would be killed by those who think they are doing God’s Will

Each of the apostles died a martyrs death, except John and he was boiled and exiled. Jesus new that the road in front of them was not going to be easy so He Prayed for them .Not that God would take them out of the word, but that He would sustain them and keep them

They would be treated like this because Just as Christ was not of the world, neither were his followers. Once you have been transformed by the grace of Christ, you will no longer fit in in this world.

One of the Tragedies of Christians and churches today is that we are blurring the line between the world and church…and doing so in the name of evangelizing the Lost. The thought is that we can attract them by being like them and then present the Gospel. This is not biblical Christianity. Jesus does not pray for us to be like the world that we may win some, but that we should stand out from the world as beacons of God’s Love and Grace calling them away from their brokenness into the healing power of Jesus!

Jesus Prayed for them specifically

He Prayed for their Sanctification

John 17:17 KJV 1900

17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

There is positional sanctification. This is what happens the moment we are saved. When God no longer sees our sin, but looks through the blood of his son and sees us as sanctified, clean.

Then there is progressive sanctification. This is the process of learning the truth of God’s word, applying it to our lives and being transformed into the image of Christ over a lifetime.

Notice that it is by His word, Truth that we are sanctified. And we see in a few verses that the His Love, Along with His Truth, is what transforms us.

Sometimes the truth Jesus tells us is not a happy truth, but it’s true.

¨      He told us the truth about the world—it's dark.

He told us the truth about the world—it's dark.

¨      He told us the truth about us—we're bent.

He told us the truth about us—we're broken.

He told us the truth about death—it's real.

¨      He told us the truth about death—it's real.

He told us the truth about heaven—it's  possible.

¨      He told us the truth about heaven—it's  possible.

He told us the truth about himself—he's the way.

¨      He told us the truth about himself—he's the way.

And it's like going into a safe harbor because he's never lied to me. 

¨      And it's like going into a safe harbor because he's never lied to me. 

d.   How beautiful to have a life with both love and truth.

How beautiful to have a life with both love and truth.

i)        Truth without love is brutality.

Truth without love is brutality.

ii)      Love without truth is hypocrisy.

Love without truth is hypocrisy.

e.    Both is needed today in the church.

Both is needed today in the church.

Jesus Prayed For Us

John 17:20–26 KJV 1900

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

He Prayed For our Unity

There are those today who attempt to teach that this means that we should forget doctrinal differences and come together under the banner of Love. This is also not biblical christianity. The Bible never says that we should forsake doctrine, but instead that we should hold it forth as our guide, teaching it and living it out.

But as a church, we are to be in unity. Take our church for example. We are made up of many different people, from many different backgrounds. Different likes and dislikes, different ways of doing things. Look at the disciples That Jesus Chose.

He didn’t go to he local bible college and choose out 12 men who had been trained together. No, they were fisherman, tax collectors, zealots. These men were as different as they could be, joined together with one commonality. Jesus.

Our Church also being made up of so many different people from different backgrounds, find our commonality in Jesus and His Word. striving to grow in Christ and reach our community with the Gospel! This is what should unify us! Does that mean we will always agree with each other. Of course not. Does that mean that we loose our sense of individuality, No. God has each of us placed here to use our unique gifts to ensure that Hardison Baptist is able to do what we are supposed to do. Reach the Lost and Build up the Saints!

Church is not a country club, it is not a social gathering. Church was never meant to be a museum of saints, but instead a hospital for sinners! And if you are a part of this church, your obligation is to work in unity with one another. To Be a testimony to the world. Churches are destroyed for lack of unity. But when a church moves as one to obey the great commission, it becomes a testimony to the Grace of God!

He Prayed for Our

He Prayed For our Destiny

Jesus Prayed that one day we would be with Him and to see His Glory. This is what he was speaking to the disciples back in Chapter 14 when he tells them that he is going to prepare the way for them to come to him.

This would bring the disciples Hope. It Brings the Church Hope. For Jesus to tell his disciples that they would be in heaven with him would give them a future, a destiny, that they could hold on to no matter how difficult it is.

It also gives the Christian their identity. Jesus has just finished telling them that his followers were not of this world. So praying that one that they would be with him in heaven told them that they weren’t homeless, but had a home in heaven

Philippians 3:20 KJV 1900

20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

And then the hope of a time when we will join christ.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 KJV 1900

13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

This is what the believer has to look forward to.

The wonderful thing for us to realize is that Jesus is still praying for us.

Hebrews 7:25 KJV 1900

25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

When things were not going well with the Reformation, Melancthon, the younger colleague of Luther, walked by the room with some children, and the door was cracked, and he heard the children praying. Then he went out to his followers much bolstered in spirit and he said, "Take heart, the children are praying."

When you're going through it tough, when it's not working, when it won’t come together take heart.

The Son of God is praying for you.