𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠-𝗨𝗣
• What is one gift you were very grateful to receive? Why did it mean so much to you?
• When you are experiencing a challenge, who is the first person you think of calling? Why would you choose him or her?
• Share about when you were going through a difficult time and someone was there for you. What happened?


𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗
“𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘦, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟳:𝟴–𝟵

In the book of John, chapter 17 is the prayer of Jesus for His disciples before His arrest and crucifixion. Knowing that His time with them on earth was ending soon, Jesus prayed for His disciples and sent them into the world. Jesus, our Lord and Savior, prays for us, His disciples, to be delivered from the evil one and sanctified as we carry out His mission for us. Let’s look at this prayer today.


𝟭. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹 𝗼𝗻𝗲.
“𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟳:𝟭𝟱–𝟭𝟲

As Jesus’ disciples, we will experience hardship, persecution, and even bodily death while we live on this earth. However, Jesus prays that God will protect our hearts and minds through His love and presence in every situation we encounter. What challenges did the apostle Paul and other believers encounter in 2 Corinthians 1:8–10? How did they overcome the affliction?

𝟮. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱.
“𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩; 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟳:𝟭𝟳

The second part of Jesus’ prayer is that we would be sanctified by the word of God. As we abide in the word of God, we can continuously experience salvation from the power of sin. Through the sanctifying and transforming power of God's word, we become more like Jesus every day we live. Why do you think this was one of the last prayers of Jesus before His arrest (John 18)?

After praying for His disciples to be kept from the evil one and to be sanctified by the word, Jesus said to the Father: “𝘈𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘴𝘰 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥” (John 17:18). It was no longer a prayer; it was a statement of fact. Jesus’ followers are to go into the world and proclaim His truth wherever we go. While this mandate is daunting, it comes with an assurance of God’s protection and power, as revealed in Jesus’ prayers for us. God gives us everything we need to obey and proclaim Him to the world.


𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
• How do you imagine Jesus feeling and looking as He prayed for His disciples? What is your response to His prayer?
• The essence of Christlikeness is a growing and deepening relationship with God. What is something you can do to abide deeper in His word today?
• While we are no longer of the world, we are still in the world and sent into the world by Jesus. What does that mean for you?


𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥
• Thank God for His Son, Jesus, who prays for us and asks the Father for our deliverance and sanctification as we abide in the truth. Thank Him for His great and lasting love for us.
• Pray that you will continue to experience the truth as you abide in God’s word and carry out His mission. Pray that your relationship with God will grow ever deeper.
• Ask God for His protection and deliverance as you carry out His mission for your life. Pray that you will experience His presence in a deeper way every day and make Him known to others.