Cultivating a Deeper Prayer Life - A Theology of Prayer

Study 11

Text: John 17

IMPORTANT LESSONS ON PRAYING FOR PEOPLE

From time to time, we are asked for prayer support. "Pray for me," a friend may ask. You nod your head, and you promise to pray. But how do we pray for people? What should we ask for?

Let us learn deep lessons from the Lord Jesus Christ, as He prayed for His Disciples. We now enter into the "second section" of His prayer poured out to His Father.

The first part of this High Priestly Prayer saw Jesus focused on reviewing His life and ministry before His Father (John 17:1-5).

The second part of His prayer saw Jesus focused on praying for His Disciples (John 17:6-19).

PRAYING WITHIN A DEFINED CONTEXT

Jesus was a most careful Teacher. He taught with great skill the Word of God to the masses and particularly to His Disciples. It was with great knowledge that Jesus now prayed for His Disciples.

Sometimes, we are just not careful enough in the way we offer up prayers before the Lord. Consider how Jesus spoke to His Father, before He even interceded for them. This is what we mean we speak of "praying within a defined context."

Let us carefully consider what Jesus said and why He uttered the following words.

"I have manifested Your Name to the men
whom You have given Me out of the world.
They were Yours, You gave them to Me,
And they have kept Your word"
John 17:6

What is the "defined context" that Jesus was picturing even as He spoke these words. They may almost be considered "introductory words." They were certainly "transitional words" before He offered intercession for them.

The context may be defined thus:-

The fact that Jesus had done His part in manifesting His Father's Name to the Disciples.
The fact that these Disciples have indeed walked worthy of their calling, despite their human weaknesses and foibles.
The fact that the Disciples had kept the Word taught to them, even though they cannot be said to have mastered all the lessons taught to them.

If Jesus had not done His part then His prayer would be quite different. If the Disciples had not done their part, then again a different prayer would be necessary.

However, things being as they were, the Lord Jesus had done His part, and the Disciples had done their part... and thus the context was set for the kind of intercession that Jesus was going to make on their behalf.

There are many "kinds of intercession." We need to define the context correctly before we can intercede effectively.

PUTTING THIS PRINCIPLE INTO PRACTICE

If a Sunday School teacher is to pray for his students (and well he should), he must first consider whether he has done his part in teaching well. He must also consider whether his students have done their part in learning the lessons taught. If the teacher has not done his part, and if the students have not done their part, then the prayer offered must be one of forgiveness rather than intercession for greater insight and wisdom.

It is important to learn this principle of setting the context of our intercessory prayer correctly. Try thinking about other situations...

How can we pray about the salvation of our loved ones, if we have not done our part in witnessing?
How can we ask the Lord for His blessings on our studies if we have failed to do our part in studying diligently?
How can we pray for health when we are too lazy to do our part in exercising and in eating correctly?

The principle of praying within a defined context is an important principle of prayer that is often not well fathomed. Let us seek to think through the way our Great High Priest prayed. Let us attempt to do what He practised.

SPECIFIC CONTEXTS RATHER THAN GENERAL INTERCESSORY PRAYERS

Many of us offer "general intercessory prayers" instead of praying within specific and well-defined contexts. Many prayers go unanswered because they lack a proper evaluation of specific contexts.

Sometimes, God wants us to do our part, to correct and fill up that which is missing, before we come to Him in intercessory prayer.

Intercession is wonderfully effective when we have done our part in life and in prayer. May the Lord grant us wisdom as we seek to cultivate a deeper prayer life.

~ Pastor Charlie Tan ~