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The Word of God says:

 John 17:11-12 (NASB77)
¹¹ “And I am no more in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep them in Thy name, the name which Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, even as We are.
¹² “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Thy name which Thou hast given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.  

My reflections on the Word of God:

 

The first thing that Jesus prayed for the disciples was that God would protect them. While Jesus was in the world He protected them. Soon Jesus would be returning to His home in heaven, and He asked the Father who loved them as much as Jesus loved them to keep them.

 

The prayer of Jesus is a prayer that the heavenly Father delights to answer. God loves the world, but the world without Jesus, is a world that is evil and divisive. Notice that Jesus asked the Holy Father to “Keep them in Thy name”. In the Bible names are important because they represent the nature of a person.

 

The disciples and followers of Jesus can be confident because it is God that is keeping them. I am so glad that my security in this world is not dependent upon my character and conduct, but it is dependent upon the Lord, and upon His almighty power to save and to keep.

 Proverbs 18:10 (NASB77)
¹⁰ The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe.

Philippians 1:6 (NASB77)
⁶ For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.  

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

 

Father God, my dear Father, I praise and thank You that I can live in the world, and be confident that I will not be overcome or defeated by the forces that are arrayed against You because I am kept by the power of almighty God.

The Word of God says:

 John 17:9-11 (KJV)
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.  

My reflections on the Word of God:

 

Today we come to examine the last of the four reasons why Jesus prayed on this particular occasion for His disciples and not for the world. The setting of this prayer is the final hours before the departure of Jesus out of this world to His Father’s home in heaven.

 

First, let us consider the task that the disciples of our Lord are given. We have come to know it as the Great Commission.

 Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  

It was for this great cause that Jesus prayed for His disciples and not for the world. The disciples would need the loving care and the divine favor of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to carry out the Great Commission. In addition to the size of their task, the disciples would face opposition and difficulties that would be impossible to overcome without divine enablement.

 John 16:33 (NIV)
³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

 

Father God, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for the great task of reaching the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ that has been given to Your disciples by Your only begotten Son.

 John 20:21 (NIV)
²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”  

Dear God we know from Your Word that You enabled Jesus to carry out His divine mission in coming into this world, and we believe that You will enable the followers of Jesus to carry out the mission He has passed on to us. Father God, I pray that You will help Your people to embrace the mission, and in faith, that we will look to You for the enabling strength, power, endurance, and faithfulness to carryout the Great Commission.

 

Rescue the Perishing (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

 http://www.biblestudycharts.com/SH_Rescue_The_Perishing.html

The Word of God says:

 John 17:9-10 (NIV)
⁹ I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.
¹⁰ All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.  

My reflections on the Word of God:

 

Today we continue our examination of the prayer of Jesus for His disciples, and why He in this instance was not praying for the world. The things that Jesus prayed for His disciples He could not pray for the world. A case in point is the third of the four reasons that is found in the latter portion of verse ten, “And glory has come to me through them”.

 

The world by its words, deeds, and activities do not bring glory to God. However, the disciples of Jesus in His day, and the followers of Christ in every age by their words, deeds, and activities do bring glory to God, and for this reason He intercedes with the Father on their behalf.

 

I am so glad that Jesus is still in the business of praying for His believing children who are the fruit of the ministry of those first century believers. He prayed for them because they brought glory to His name and praise God He prays for us when we bring glory to His name.

 Romans 8:34 (NIV)
³⁴ Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  

As the first century disciples lifted up Jesus to their world, may we in our time lift up the name of Jesus to a watching world. When we do Jesus will be able to say about us what He said about them, “And glory has come to me through them”.

 2 Thessalonians 1:12 (NIV)
¹² We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)
⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

 

Father God, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for the privilege it is to be known by You as a child of God, and to have the divine favor of being loved by God, and Your Son, Jesus Christ. Lord, I pray that as I continue to grow in my faith, and knowledge of the Word of God that I will bring increasing glory, honor, and praise to the name of Jesus, and to my heavenly Father.

 

I Will Sing of My Redeemer (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

 

http://www.biblestudycharts.com/SH_I_Will_Sing_of_My_Redeemer.html

The Word of God says:

 John 17:9-10 (NIV)
⁹ I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.
¹⁰ All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.  

My reflections on the Word of God:

 

Today we look at the second of four reasons why Jesus prayer on this occasion was for His disciples and not for the world. The first reason was that the disciples belonged to God. That we discovered in verse nine and it is included in His prayer.

 

Now we come to verse ten and we discover to our delight that the disciples belong to God the Father, and to Jesus. Notice how Jesus phrased His prayer, “All I have is yours, and all you have is mine”.

 

The disciples up to this time have had all of their needs met by Jesus. However, He has been preparing them for His departure as His earthly ministry was soon to be completed. How comforting and strengthening it was for His disciples then, and for believers today to know that all who belong to God also belong to Jesus.

 

We don’t know for sure what another day will bring, but this one thing we know is that if You belong to Jesus, You also belong to God, and that whatever we face today or tomorrow we will not face it along. Let this truth about God and Jesus sink deep into your heart, and draw from this knowledge the confidence and faith that You need to take every need that you have to the Lord in prayer. Jesus could count on God answering His prayer, and you can count on God answering your prayer because of your faith in Jesus you have received from Him the gift of eternal life.

 John 17:1-3 (NIV)
¹ After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.
² For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.
³ Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.  

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

 

Father God, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for the love and care that You have for Your dear children. Father, I thank You for the amazing love that You have for man, male and female, that You created in Your image, and who You redeemed by the precious and royal blood of You only begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.

 

There is nothing more assuring and comforting than knowing that as we face each day, and as we face this New Year than the words that Jesus spoke in His prayer for His disciples and all believers, “All I have is yours, and all you have is mine”.

 

Now I Belong To Jesus (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

 http://www.biblestudycharts.com/SH_Now_I_Belong_To_Jesus.html

The Word of God says:

 John 17:9 (NIV)
⁹ I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.  

My reflections on the Word of God:

 

Yesterday we introduced this passage (John 17:9-19), and we examined the statement that Jesus made about not praying for the world. Jesus loved the world, and His Father loved the world, but in this particular prayer Jesus is praying for His disciples.

 

Today we will examine the first of four reasons why Jesus was praying for His disciples. This first reason is because they belonged to the Father, and the Father had given them to Jesus. He was responsible for them and accountable to God for them.

 

How great is the knowledge to know that the eleven disciples belonged to the Father. However, we know from something Jesus said later in His prayer that all believers belong to the Father, and are gifts to the Son.

 John 17:20 (NIV)
²⁰ “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,  

In His prayer Jesus tells us why His prayed for the disciples. Listen to His words, “I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours”. Jesus knew what His disciples would be facing as He would be fulfilling the purpose for which He was born, and that He would soon be returning to His throne in heaven. It was for that reason that He prayed for His disciples.

 

The disciples and all of God’s children belong to Him by creation, and we belong to Him by redemption.

 Ephesians 1:4 (NIV)
⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love

1 Peter 1:2 (NIV)
² who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.  

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

 

Father God, my dear Father, I praise and thank You that through my faith in Jesus, Your only begotten Son, that I am blessed by You to have the strength for living a Godly life in this world, and to have the peace of God filling my soul in the midst of a wicked world. What a blessing it is to know that I belong to the Father, and that I belong to the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and that Jesus is praying for me.

 Romans 8:34 (NIV)
³⁴ Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  

For You I Am Praying (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

 Digital Hymn #284 – For You I Am Praying

The Word of God says:

 John 17:9 (NASB77)
⁹ “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine;  

My reflections on the Word of God:

 

I began writing these daily devotionals over seven years ago, and in the beginning I sent them to just a few friends who were my prayer and online bible study partners. I now have a blog. The address is www.herbcotton.org. The blog is currently included in the links section of the Alaska Governors Prayer Breakfast. www.alaskagpb.org.

 

With the beginning of a New Year and the addition of some new readers, I will be starting a series on “The Prayer of Jesus for His Disciples”. Over the course of the next week, or how ever long it takes I will be writing on John 17:9-19.

 

Today we start with verse nine. Before we get into the prayer that Jesus prayed for the eleven disciples, and for all believers who were to follow them, I want to address the statement included in verse nine, “I do not ask on behalf of the world”.

 

It is important to note that Jesus loved the world. Jesus and God the Father loves the world. The world and the condition of the people in the world is the very reason for Christmas and Easter.

 John 3:16-18 (NASB77)
¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
¹⁷ “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.
¹⁸ “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  

Another thing to note is that the world needs prayer. Although Jesus is not praying for the world in the prayer that we will be studying, He always had the needs of the world on His heart. Jesus purpose and passion were for the whole world.

 

The world needed prayer in the days that Jesus walked the earth, and the world needs prayer today. Jesus often prayed for the world, and we need to follow His example of praying for the world.

 Luke 23:34 (NASB77)
³⁴ But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.  

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

 

Father God, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for the peace that comes from knowing that there is a God in heaven who loves and cares for the people of the whole world. Father God, I thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your only begotten Son into the world so that I and everyone in the whole world wouldn’t have to die for our own sins.

 

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB77)
²¹ He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

John 14:6 (NASB77)
⁶ Jesus * said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.  

Jesus Paid It All (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

 http://www.digitalhymnal.org/dhymn.cfm?hymnNumber=184

The Word of God says:

 Psalms 139:19-24 (NASB77)
¹⁹ O that Thou wouldst slay the wicked, O God; Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed.
²⁰ For they speak against Thee wickedly, And Thine enemies take Thy name in vain.
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate Thee, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against Thee?
²² I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies.
²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
²⁴ And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.  

My reflections on the Word of God:

 

Today we conclude our reading and reflection on Psalm 139. David closes this Psalm with a prayer. It was the prayer of a man who openly acknowledges that he hates the things that God hates. God hates the sins of the wicked, but He loves the sinner.

 

David was so confident of the character of God, and His loyal love for him that he was willing for the Lord to search him and to test him because David knew that if there were any wicked ways in him that the Lord would discover them, and deal gently and lovingly with him.

 

David was content to leave the judgment of the wicked in the Lord’s hands, and he was willing to leave his heart and his eternal destiny in the hands of the Lord. There were two things that David knew to be truth. First, he could not know his own heart, and second, the judgment of the wicked was not his responsibility, but the responsibility of the Lord.

 Jeremiah 17:9 (NASB77)
⁹ “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

Romans 12:19 (NASB77)
¹⁹ Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.  

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

 

Father God, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for being a God who loves His children supremely, and who cares about us more than anyone in the whole world. Lord, by faith in You, I am able to link my heart with the heart of David and invite You to search my heart and test my life, and to invite You to deal with anything that You would find in me that is not pleasing in Your eyes. Lord, I ask You to lead me and guide me today and all the days of my life.

 

Lord, God Almighty, I know that if I entrust my life and my whole heart to You in this New Year of 2008 that You will lead me and guide me in the way that I should go.

 1 John 1:7 (NASB77)
⁷ but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.  

Wherever He Leads I’ll Go (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

 Wherever He Leads I’ll Go – MIDI and Lyrics – Sacred Hymns – Bible Study Charts.com – Free MIDI Hymns

The Word of God says:

 Psalms 139:13-18 (NASB77)
¹³ For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Thy works, And my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from Thee, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Thy book they were all written, The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.
¹⁷ How precious also are Thy thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with Thee.  

My reflections on the Word of God:

 

God places a great value upon life, and the psalmist sees the birth of a child as a miracle from the hand of God. The choice of whether one lives or dies is a divine choice. This may not be popular, but it is biblical.

 

God’s gift to us is the birth of a human life. It is a gift of love. Our gift to Him is to give that life back to Him. God made us for His pleasure and for His purposes.

 Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.

 

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

 

Our Father in heaven, I praise and thank You for the miracle of human birth. Lord, I give You praise and thanks for the gift of life. Lord, as my gift to You, I offer my life to You as a living and holy sacrifice to be used for Your pleasure and purposes.

 

Have Thine Own Way, Lord (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

 http://www.digitalhymnal.org/dhymn.cfm?hymnNumber=567

The Word of God says:

 Psalms 139:7-12 (NASB77)
⁷ Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence?
⁸ If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there.
⁹ If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
¹⁰ Even there Thy hand will lead me, And Thy right hand will lay hold of me.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,”
¹² Even the darkness is not dark to Thee, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to Thee.  

My reflections on the Word of God:

 

In the first six verses of this psalm we discover that God knows everything about us, and as a result we should be open and honest with Him so that He can lead and direct our walk so that we can accomplish the purpose for which He made us.

 

In these verses we discover that God knows everywhere we go, and that there is no place on earth that we can go to escape the presence of God. This is bad news for people who want to run away from God, but this is good news for people who want to run to God where they can find shelter and help in there time of need.

 

Whatever problem, difficulty, trouble or affliction we may be facing in our life, it is comforting and encouraging to know that God is present, and where God is present we can find refuge in Him, and the strength we need to see us through our troubles and trials.

 Isaiah 41:10 (NASB77)

10 ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

 

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

 

Our Father in heaven, I praise and thank You that wherever we find ourselves, and in whatever condition we may be in, we have the blessed assurance that God is present, and where God is we have access to the help that we need to see us through the troubles and the trials that we encounter in our daily life. Lord, I am so grateful that You love me and care about me personally, and that You are willing to meet my needs and that You are all that I need.

 Psalms 46:1 (NASB77)
¹ God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.  

The Word of God says:

 Psalms 139:1-6 (NASB77)
¹ O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me.
² Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar.
³ Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, And art intimately acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, Thou dost know it all.
⁵ Thou hast enclosed me behind and before, And laid Thy hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.  

My reflections on the Word of God:

 

If you are a child of God and you have given Him his rightful place as the Lord of your life, this psalm should give you a lot of comfort and encouragement. How encouraging it is to know in these days of heighten alert because of terrorism concerns that the Lord knows everything about you, and that not a single sparrow falls to the ground without His knowledge and awareness.

 

It is a source of great encouragement to know that God knows me personally, and that He is aware of all of the intimate details of my life, and that the things that are of concern to me are of concern to Him.

 

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

 

Our Father in heaven, I praise and thank You for Your lovingkindness, and for Your grace and tender mercies that You have for the personal and intimate details of the lives of Your children. Lord, I pray that such love will motivate me to be open and honest with You in all my ways, and that it will result in me having a vibrant and dynamic prayer life as I make a conscious effort to take everything to the Lord in prayer, and rely upon the Lord to supply all of my needs from His riches in glory through Christ Jesus my Savior and Lord.

 

Isaiah 37:28 (MSG)
²⁸ ” ‘I know all about your pretentious poses, your officious comings and goings, and, yes, the tantrums you throw against me.