Study 12

Text: John 17

EVALUATION OF PEOPLE PRAYED FOR

There is so much to learn about how we can intercede significantly. Intercessory prayer is NOT just mentioning someone's name before God in prayer. Effective intercessory prayer involves much more.

We have already learned that we must pray honestly within a definite context. If that context is not well understood and defined, we might well see our intercessory prayers hindered.

Another important principle that we want to bear in mind is the fact that we need to objectively evaluate the people for whom we pray. We see the Lord Jesus doing this as He prayed for His Disciples.

Let's take a careful look at the way He spoke about His Disciples, before He brought them before his Father. A careful study of the text would suggest that He evaluated His Disciples. Obviously, He would also need to know His Disciples in depth before He can evaluate them, see their needs and then present these needs before His Father.

DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF THE DISCIPLES

The Lord Jesus knew His Disciples very well. He knew their strengths and their weaknesses as well. It is important that we understand and realize that "evaluation" and "deep knowledge" goes hand-in-hand.

Let us consider what Jesus said about His Disciples…

• "They have kept Your word…" John 17:6
• "They have known that all things which You have given Me are from You…" John 17:7
• "I have given them Your word, and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You…" John 17:8
• "They have believed that You sent Me…" John 17:8

We could go on and produce even more evidence that Jesus prayed for His Disciples on the basis of His knowledge of His Disciples. Knowledge and evaluation must go together. It is the correct way to intercede.

Should the Disciples have failed in some ways to receive the Word of the Lord properly, then the way in which Jesus would intercede for them would be quite different. That would be stating the obvious.

CORRECTING THE BAD HABIT OF PRAYING ONLY IN GENERAL TERMS

It is always good to pray and commune with God. However, if we desire to intercede effectively, we must realize that we would need to add a few more things to our understanding to our theology of prayer.

• We must add context
• We must add evaluation
• We must add knowledge (of the people prayed for)

Praying in general and vague terms is not effective intercession. Let us seek to correct whatever wrong practices we may have picked up along the way.

Let us seek to understand the deeper needs of people before we speak about interceding effectively.

"I PRAY FOR THEM..." John 17:9

Before Jesus could pray for them, He evaluated His Disciples. He had observed them carefully over the three years they spent time with Him. He knew them intimately. He knew their deeper needs.

He could now begin to actually pray for them. His prayer for His Disciples arose from a deep friendship established with them. His intercession for His Disciples arose from His insight of their deeper needs.

How we must be challenged in our hearts to pray firstly that we may have a deeper sense of interest in the needs of people around us. If we do not have a deep understanding, or a sense of genuine interest in people, we could never enter into the intercessory ministry effectively.

The challenge is to emulate the example of the Lord Jesus Christ in the ministry of prayer. However, we cannot speak of truly following His footsteps unless we have a deeper understanding of HOW He actually prayed for His Disciples.

~ Pastor Charlie Tan ~

First released 22 July 2001 © Bethany Independent-Presbyterian Church, Singapore