Without a doubt, Jesus was a man of prayer. In the gospels we find Him teaching often on prayer. We also discover Him rising early in the morning while it was still dark, going to a desolate place and praying (Mark 1:35). Many times it is recorded that Jesus prayed, but very few times do we read the content of His prayer.
In John 17 we have the longest recorded prayer of our Savior. In this chapter, Jesus turned His attention from earth to heaven, from the disciples to the Father, from instruction to prayer. Jesus began His prayer by praying to glorify His Father. There are three ways Jesus glorified His Father.
1. By receiving the Father’s authority, vv. 2-3.
2. By accomplishing the Father’s mission, vv. 4-5.
3. By revealing the Father’s nature, vv. 6-8.
As children of God, do we seek to glorify Him?
The world is a troubled place. We face the troubles common to everyone else who inhabits this planet — pandemics, wars, famines, political unrest, and on and on. But as a follower of Jesus Christ, you face the added troubles of hatred (15:18), persecution (15:20), ostracism (16:2), and even death (16:2).
Yet as Jesus concluded His upper room discourse, He stated that you can experience peace in a troubled world (16:33). There are three assurances Jesus gave you to have peace in a troubled world.
1. The assurance that your sorrow can be transformed into joy, vv. 16-22.
2. The assurance that you can ask for anything in Jesus’ name, vv. 23-28.
3. The assurance that you can share in Jesus’ victory over the world, vv. 29-33.
When the troubles of the world surround you, take heart, Jesus has overcome!
