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By:  Steve Biddison

 Read John 17: 7-19

Life Lessons

A careful examination of this part of Jesus’ prayer shows us some key areas where He was praying for those God had granted under His care.  He pointed out specifically that He was not praying these things for the whole world, but His prayer was only about the ones God had given under His care.  As we look into His prayer, we should do so with the understanding that those God has given under our care, especially our family, should be prayed for in the same way as Jesus prayed for His disciples.

1.  That they would learn about Jesus (v.8).  Jesus said that His disciples knew with certainty who He was and why He came.  Have we taught our family (or others under our responsibility) about Jesus?  Do our kids know the basic stories from the Bible?  These are all things we should not only be praying that they know, but we should be making sure that they know.
2. That they believe and accept Jesus (v.8).  Our prayer for our children from the moment they are born should be that one day they believe and accept Jesus.  It is not enough to know about Him.  Our prayer needs to be that they will one day come to know Him.
3. That they obey Jesus (v. 6).  Jesus said in His prayer that His disciples obeyed His teachings.  In other words, they did not only believe in Him, they lived by what He said.  As our family members become Christians, we should change our prayer for them from praying to accept Jesus to praying that they would walk with Jesus throughout their lives.
4. That they would know for certain what the truth is (v. 8).  As we pray for our children, especially when they start entering their teenage years, we should daily be praying that they know for certain what the truth is.  Their friends, environment, and even hormones will be trying to confuse them.  Pray that they know the truth of God’s Word so well that they will not stray from it.

Making it Personal

How well do your children (or those under your responsibility) know the basics about Jesus as well as other stories from the Bible?  If you are not sure, then they probably don’t know that much.  Make a plan on telling them all about Jesus and the Bible.

Are all your family members (or others under your responsibility) already Christians?  If not, make a commitment to pray regularly for their salvation.

For the most part, are your children obeying you and God?  If they aren’t, this would be a good time to make a habit of praying for them to walk in God’s ways.

Do your children (especially teenagers) know the truth so well that they don’t want to depart from it?  In today’s world, it is not enough to just know the truth because they were taught it.  They have to know it in their own hearts to survive in this world.  Pray each day for your children to know and walk in the truth so not to be confused by the world.