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Jesus’ Prayer in John 17

What we can learn from Jesus’ prayer before the crucifixion (and pray better as a result)

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we Pray 2026

  • we Pray 2026: developing a habit of prayer
  • Lesson 1: Prayer Basics
  • Lesson 2: Jesus and Prayer

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  • Today: Learn what Jesus can teach us about prayer at His toughest human moment, and how to apply those lessons to our prayer lives

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The Gospel of John: Background

  • Jesus is the Word, the Son of God,�Jesus is God
  • Signs (miracles)
  • Seven “I AM” statements

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John 18:31-33, the oldest known �fragment of John’s gospel, c. A.D. 125-175

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Jesus Prays: Part 1 (John 17:1-5)

  • Listen for:
  • What prayer posture does �Jesus use?
  • How does Jesus address God, �and Himself?
  • Jesus’ main theme of “glory”

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Orans, Catacombs, Rome �(c. A.D. 300)

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Jesus Prays: Part 1 (John 17:1-5)

  • Application (prayer time):
  • Prayer of praise that Jesus is God.
  • Try using the word “Father” to address God, like Jesus did.
  • Prayer of praise that Jesus was obedient to God’s will. It was God’s will that Jesus serve as the sacrifice for our sins.
  • Pray that our work on earth would also bring God glory.

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Jesus Prays: Part 2A (John 17:6-12)

  • Listen for:
  • In vs 9, Jesus prays in “I am praying for them.” Who is “them,” and what makes them “them”? (or, what are the characteristics of “them”?)
  • What does Jesus say about glory?

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Jesus Prays: Part 2A (John 17:6-12)

  • Application (prayer time):
  • Praise that Jesus calls us His own
  • Pray that we would be obedient to Jesus’ teaching (this is a hard one-Jesus’ teaching asks us to die to self and follow Him with all that we are).
  • Pray that we would live up to the list of characteristics that Jesus identified in His chosen disciples.

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Jesus Prays: Part 2B (John 17:13-19)

  • Listen for:
  • Where is Jesus going?
  • What’s the deal with the world?

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Jesus Prays: Part 2B (John 17:13-19)

  • Application (prayer time):
  • Like the first disciples, ask God to help us be in the world, but not of it, that we would reject what the world offers that would lure us away from the truth.
  • Pray for protection from evil and the evil one.
  • Pray for our obedience to Christ as we go into the world (which we do pretty much every day).

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Jesus Prays: Part 3 (John 17:20-26)

  • Listen for:
  • For whom is Jesus praying in this last section?
  • Glory
  • Unity
  • Love

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Jesus Prays: Part 3 (John 17:20-26)

  • Application (prayer time):
  • Pray for unity in the Kingdom of God. Our many (many) divisions weaken our witness and diminish our effectiveness.
  • Pray that our love for others would increase.

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Conclusion

  • From John 17, we learn that we can:
    • Pray that our lives would bring Jesus glory.
    • Pray for the unity of the Church.
    • Pray for Christ’s protection, and that we live in the world, but not live lives of the world.
  • Next week: Prayer in the New Testament beyond Jesus