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

“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
—John 17:1-3, 6-7, 20-21

~~~~~

When Jesus Prays
By Jennifer Kane

When Jesus prays,
He lifts His eyes to heaven,
not with fear—
but with resolve.
He knows the hour has come,
and still,
He calls it glory.

He speaks not as a stranger
to a distant God,
but as a Son—
at home in His Father’s heart.
There is no hesitation,
no rehearsed formality,
only love,
pure and pleading.

When Jesus prays,
He thinks of others—
those who followed Him in sandals and dust,
who leaned in at the table,
who would scatter in fear.
He doesn’t scold.
He sanctifies.
“Keep them, Father,”
He says,
“in Your name.”

He prays for their joy,
even as He walks toward pain.
He prays for their protection,
even as He surrenders His own.
He prays for their mission—
that they may remain in this world
but never belong to it.

And then—
He prays for me.
For you.
For the ones not yet born
but already beloved.
He saw us,
held us in His voice,
longed for us to be one.

That we would be
knit together in love,
shaped by truth,
sanctified in word,
and drawn into the forever
of His glory.

When Jesus prays,
He lays bare the ache of heaven—
the yearning of the Divine
to dwell with the dust.
Not to judge,
but to join.
Not to condemn,
but to call.
Not to crush,
but to carry.

This is the voice
that still speaks over us—
when we tremble,
when we wander,
when we forget we are His.

When Jesus prays,
we are held.

~~~~~

Scripture: John 17:1-26

There are moments in Scripture where the veil is pulled back, and we glimpse something extraordinary. John 17 is one of those sacred moments. Jesus, knowing His hour had come, lifts His eyes to heaven and speaks not to the crowds, not to the disciples, but to His Father. It is holy ground.

What makes this chapter breathtaking is not just what Jesus says, but that we get to hear Him say it — that He wanted this recorded for us. This prayer is deeply personal, rich with love, and full of purpose. It reveals how Jesus spoke to God, not with formality, but with the trust and closeness of a Son to His Dad.

And what He prays for? You and me.

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.” (v.1)

Jesus opens His prayer not with panic, but with peace. He doesn’t beg to escape the cross—He sees it as the moment of glory. He asks to be glorified so that the Father would be glorified. This reminds us that prayer is not always about asking God to change our situation, but asking Him to use it for His glory.

When I pray, do I seek God’s glory in my circumstances, or just relief?

“Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name… so that they may be one as We are one.” (v.11)

Jesus knows He’s leaving, and His heart is for those He’s trained, loved, and walked with. He asks the Father to guard them, sanctify them, and send them into the world — not to escape it, but to shine within it.

Jesus’ prayer shows how deeply He cares about His followers’ protection, unity, and purpose. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or out of place in this world, remember: Jesus has already prayed for you.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message.” (v.20)

This is where the prayer becomes even more breathtaking: Jesus prays for us — those who would one day believe. He prayed that we would be united, that we would experience the same love the Father has for Him, and that we would one day be with Him in glory.

Before you were born, Jesus was already praying for your unity, your faith, and your future. You are not forgotten. You are not alone.

Jesus’ prayer models how we can come to God as children to a Father:
Honestly (“Father, the hour has come…”)
Selflessly (“…that Your Son may glorify You…”)
With others in mind (“…protect them… sanctify them…”)
With longing for love and unity (“…that they may be one…”)

Just as Jesus prayed, so can we — not to inform God, but to connect with Him. We can speak freely, vulnerably, and confidently.

~~~~~

Father God, thank You for letting me hear the voice of Your Son as He prayed. Thank You for loving me so much that even before I believed, Jesus had already lifted me up in prayer. Help me to trust You like a child trusts their dad. Help me to pray for others, to seek Your glory, and to live in unity with those You’ve called. Let the words of John 17 shape my heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

July 12 2025