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. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
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. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.
— John 17:6-26

~~~~~

Jesus Prayed For Me
By Jennifer Kane

In a garden,
Before the day of sorrow,
You thought of me.

You lifted my name
to the Father,
long before I was born.

You asked that I be kept,
that I be one,
that I be filled with Your joy.

Love eternal
stooped to pray—
not for Yourself,
but for me.

And now my heart rests
in this wonder:
I am held in prayer
by the Son of God.

How can I not love You?
How can I not give thanks?
Jesus—
my Savior,
my Intercessor,
my forever Friend.

~~~~~

Scripture: John 17:6-26

Have you ever felt alone in your faith? Have you ever wondered if God is truly aware of your specific struggles, your hidden doubts, or your deep desire to feel connected? In the final hours before His crucifixion, Jesus didn’t just pray for strength for Himself. He prayed for His disciples in the room with Him, and then, with stunning clarity, He lifted His eyes to the future and prayed for you.

In this intimate conversation with the Father, Jesus lays bare His heart for His followers. As we read His words, we see that our lives as His disciples are not a random series of events, but are intentionally aligned with the very requests of our Savior. What a blessing to know we were on His heart in His darkest hour!

Before we ever chose Him, we were known and given to the Son. Our place in God’s family is not an accident or a later addition; it was part of the divine plan. You belong.

Jesus knew the world would be a hostile place for His people. He didn’t pray for God to take us out of the world, but to protect us from the evil one in the world. This prayer for spiritual safekeeping is active over your life today, guarding you from the enemy’s schemes as you navigate daily challenges.

Jesus prayed for our growth. He asked the Father to set us apart, to make us more holy, and to shape us into His image through the truth of Scripture. That nagging feeling that draws you to be more like Christ? That’s the answer to this prayer being worked out in you.

He prayed for the unity of all believers—across time, cultures, and denominations. He desired a supernatural unity that would mirror the unity of the Trinity itself, serving as a powerful witness to the world. When we choose fellowship over isolation, forgiveness over bitterness, and love over division, we are living answers to Jesus’s prayer.

His ultimate desire is for us to be with Him, to see His glory. This prayer guarantees our eternal future. Our hope of heaven is secure because Jesus Himself asked the Father for it.

Today, live with the conscious awareness that you are a person who has been prayed for by the Son of God.

When you feel alone, remember: Jesus prayed you would know you belong to God.

When you feel under attack, remember: Jesus prayed for your protection from the evil one.

When you feel stagnant, remember: Jesus prayed for your growth through His Word.

When you feel frustrated with other believers, remember: Jesus prayed for your unity as a testimony to the world.

When you feel weary of this world, remember: Jesus prayed for you to one day be with Him, forever.

~~~~~

Lord Jesus, thank you. Thank you that on the night you faced the cross, you thought of me. Help me to truly grasp the profound blessing that my life is intertwined with your eternal prayers. Let me live today in the security of your protection, the purpose of your sanctification, and the passion of your desire for unity. May my life be a living answer to your prayer, bringing glory to your name. Amen.

September 18 2025