The Prayer

John 17

Twenty-four hours before Jesus was to be crucified, Jesus prayed for himself to be a faithful and obedient son. Then he prayed for his disciples, that they would be untied, empowered, and joyful in the midst of what was coming. Jesus then prayed for the church; both the present, and for all believers that were to come to believe in his message. Everything Jesus did and will do is because the Father instructed him to. Jesus wants his followers to know that to know the Father, one must know him.

  1. What does Jesus mean when he asked to be glorified? John 17:1-5 Describe how you bring glory to God.
  2. Jesus knew the cross was coming; how did he pray for his disciples? John 17:9-19 What does this mean for us today as believers?
  3. Jesus said his disciples were “not of this world.” John 17:16-19 What does that mean for us today as believers in the world?
  4. Jesus stated that his relationship with the Father is one. John 17:20-21 What does that mean and how does that affect us today?
  5. Jesus asked the Father to give all believers unity in order to let the world know that he was from God. John 17:22-23 How as believers in Jesus are we to carry out this mission?
  6. Jesus prayed this entire prayer out loud so his disciples could hear him. In what ways does this prayer encourage you today?