TEXT: John 17:12-16
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
We are in a series of messages titled “Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible.” The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have completed 192 messages in this series.
This is message #193 titled, The Profound Prayer that Jesus Prayed, Part 9
As Jesus continues this prayer for His disciples, He expands on His second major request — that God would keep and preserve the disciples. He says, ‘I have given them thy word.’ When Jesus came, He gave us what God wanted us to hear. Although He is God, He did not come with His own message; He came with the message of God the Father. Many Christian leaders seek to be original, when, in reality, all they are called to do is repeat the message that God has given. Just as Jesus gave them God’s Word, the disciples and Christians who followed them are to give God’s Word to their respective generations.
Because the disciples had received God’s Word, accepted it, and had their lives transformed by it, they were hated by the world. Jesus prayed, “the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” More often than not, those who identify with Jesus Christ will find themselves at odds with this present age. It is tempting to withdraw from the world, to become reclusive and isolated. But that is not what Jesus wants us to do. He said, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”
There are many reasons why Jesus wants us to remain in the world.
First, we must remain in the world in order to be a light to the world. If we sequestered ourselves into Christian-only communities, we would be of no benefit to the world which is engulfed in darkness. Jesus brought light into the world and He left His disciples behind in order that they might continue to shine that light.
We typically think that we will only know God and Jesus fully and freely once we are whisked away to Heaven, but God’s glory shines even in the Earth. By knowing Him better here, we will know Him better there.
Don’t despair because you and I have to remain in the world. Jesus prayed for us, that God would keep us and preserve us during our time on this Earth. And He will.
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Now, if you are with us today, and you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, your first prayer needs to be what we call the Sinner’s Prayer. First, please understand that you are a sinner, just as I am, and that you have broken God’s laws. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now this is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! Congratulations on trusting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. You have done the most important thing in life. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Gospel Light House of Prayer International 