Prayer: His glory our good

John 17:1-5

What has been one of the biggest joys of being married thus far?

What have you noticed being married for as long as you have, as one of the biggest challenges in marriage? (Communication).

This may be an indicator for something in our own life. Could our problems with our spouse, other family members, work associates, friends, etc? Not simply identifying the means of communication, but the intentionality and frequency of our communication.

What is prayer?

Prayer is the open door for communication taken deeper into communion. Prayer is a nourishing friendship. Prayer changes those around us. Prayer is a journey. Prayer helps us endure. Prayer means of knowing yourself as well as God. Prayer changes things. Prayer is a refuge. Prayer changes us. Prayer unites our wills with God.

“Prayer is awe, intimacy, struggle, yet the way to reality. There is nothing more important, or harder, or richer, or more life-altering. There is absolutely nothing so great as prayer.”

Tim Keller

English Standard Version Chapter 17

17 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come, glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,

What words? 16:29-33

He lifted up his eyes to heaven: Posture- open, closed, standing or kneeling, there are many postures of prayer. So long as your heart and mind is connected as one.

Father, the hour has come- time planned from before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:3-14). We hear many instances in the gospels of hearing Christ say his ‘hour’ has not yet come

Glorify- Aorist active imperative. Doxa- to praise, worship, honor, and showcase.

A word on the trinity: Illustrations fall short- We can only hold on to what has been revealed, and marvel at the mystery (Deut 29:29). Not a puzzle or riddle to be solved, but a transformative truth that must be embraced. See the mutual love between Father and son in his prayer.

2. since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

All authority, judgement has been passed from the Father to the Son (Psalm 8:4-6, Matt 28:18, Heb 2:5-9).

To offer eternal life (1 John 5:11-13)

To all whom you have given him. The word all in our minds on the surface means universal, but we know from Eph 1:3-6 and other passages that it is the elect (all from the particular).

3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

Eternal life- meaning this life is not it. Our entire lives should be lived toward that end, meaning our marriage is the God-ordained sanctifying process that makes this a reality.

Know you- more than on the surface. A deep, complex, yet simple knowledge that surpasses all understanding (marriage serving as the illustration.

4. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

Glorified you on earth: “Jesus taught his disciples to pray, healed people with prayers, denounced the corruption of the temple worship (which he said should be a house of prayer), and insisted that some demons could only be cast out by prayer. He prayed often and regularly with fervent cries and tears (Heb 5:7), and sometimes all night. the Holy Spirit came upon him and anointed him as he way praying (Luke 3:21-22) and he was transfigured with the divine glory as he prayed (Luke 9:29). When he faced his greatest crisis, he did so with prayer: this passage. We hear him praying for his disciples and the church on the night before he died (John 17:1-26) and then petitioning God in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. Finally, he died praying.”

buried and rising. Word on Good Friday and Easter- Prayer is the pathway to preparation. 2 weeks.

5. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

Glory coming from the Father to the Son .

Eternal glory-

Application:

Pray for God’s glory in your spouses life

Husbands: Your wives need your prayers. Pray for their hearts to be tethered to the glory of God. Remove the stain from her life, glory redirected so it can go to it’s only source.

Wives: Your husbands need your prayers.

2. Pray through our pain

a. Lament as a genre of Psalms (1/3 of the Psalms) are a cry to God that he hears. They are the symmetry between our pain and praise.

b. Listen to the prayer Jesus prays on your behalf- let it bring inexpressible peace to your soul where you say it truly is well.

3. Pray with hope

a. Rev 8

“Prayer is the churches banquet, Angels age, God’s breath in man returning to his birth, the soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgrimage, the Christian plummet sounding heaven and earth. The engine channeling us to the almighty, the saint’s tower of refuge, reversed thunder, Christ’s side pierced spear, the six hours transposed , a kind tune which all things hear and fear, softness, peace, joy, love, bliss, manna tasted, gladness of the best, heaven in reach, a man well dressed, the milky way, the bird of paradise, church bells beyond the stars heard, the sparrow’s home, the land of milk and honey, mystery understood.” George Herbert (1593-1633)