Cultivating a Deeper Prayer Life - A Theology of Prayer

Study 13

Text: John 17

REVIEWING IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES OF INTERCESSORY PRAYER

The Lord Jesus teaches us many deep and important lessons on intercessory prayer. Thus far we have observed the following things He practised in intercessory prayer:-

1. He began with communion with His Father. In John 17:1-5, He spoke to His Father about His life and ministry. He was having important communion with His Father in prayer.

2. He then went on into intercession for His Disciples. He was most specific in the way He interceded for His Disciples (John 17:6-18)

He prayed within a most specific or definite context. He prayed for His Disciples in the context of having taught them God's Word. He prayed for them in the context of having taught them faith in God, and knowledge of the Scriptures.
He prayed for them in the light of having evaluated them in their understanding of things spiritual. They had done fairly well as Disciples.
He prayed for them in the light of deep knowledge of His Disciples.

"I DO NOT PRAY FOR THE WORLD..." John 17:9

In the same breath, Jesus uttered these solemn words. "I do not pray for the world..." What did He mean by that statement?

Some have taken these words to mean that we should not pray for the world...period! This seems to be a little extreme in interpretation. However, if this is not the meaning, how do we understand these words of Jesus?

Here are some thoughts to mull over:-

We must never think that Jesus did not care for the world. We know that Jesus came into the world to redeem sinners. One of the first verses we probably memorized would be John 3:16, where we are told that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..."
The interpretation of the word "world" is of central and of utmost importance to our understanding of what Jesus meant, when He said, "I do not pray for the world..."(John 17:9).

THE MEANING OF "THE WORLD" IN THE CONTEXT OF JESUS' INTERCESSORY PRAYER

Let us take a bit of time to understand what Jesus meant when He used the word "world" in this context. Let us examine the use of the word "world" in the following verses.

"Now that I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You..." (John 17:11)
"While I was in the world, I kept them in Your Name..." (John 17:12)
"But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world..." (John 17:13)
These first three mentions of the word "world" suggest that Jesus was referring to the physical world of men. Jesus is simply describing the world in which He walked with His Disciples.
"I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not "of the world, just as I am not of the world" (John 17:14).
"They are not of the world, just as I not of the world" (John 17:16)

In this instance, Jesus distinguishes between the physical world in which all of us live, and the wicked system of the world, which is hostile and antagonistic to Him. To emphasize what He meant, Jesus repeated Himself. He was conscious that the worldly system that He discovered was contrary to all that He stood for.

This "world" or "worldly system" was wicked, hypocritical, and of the Evil One (John 8:44... in this context, Jesus accused His detractors as belonging to the Devil).

Thus when Jesus said that He was not praying for the world, He was referring specifically to the worldly system that sought to destroy all He came to do! The world of Satan would never change.

Jesus needed to pray for His Disciples, because they lived in a world system that was hostile to God. He needed to cover them in prayer so that they may be protected from the wicked wiles of the Devil. We remember what Jesus taught in "The Lord's Prayer." He taught His Disciples to pray, "Deliver us from the Evil One" (Luke 11:4).

There is no discrepancy in the way in which Jesus prayed. He loved the world when men lived. Many needed to hear the message of salvation. Many could be saved!

However, He knew that there "was a world within the world." This world system was corrupt and wicked. This world had rejected His Gospel. This world had opposed and rejected Him. This world wanted nothing to do with Jesus.

A DELICATE DISTINCTION

Jesus made a fine distinction between the physical world we live in (that is, "the earth", and the wicked world system that even now continues to ruin the people who inhabit the earth. It is not always easy to tell the difference.

Let us be challenged to ponder deeply over the difference between "the earth" and "the world." The latter may be used to describe the wicked worldly system, while the former may be used to describe the physical world in which we all live.

LET US NOT FORGET TO PRAY FOR BELIEVERS

"I pray for them..." is a reference to the fact that Jesus focused His attention on His Disciples. At this point of time, He wanted to focus on praying for His Disciples. There is absolutely nothing wrong with praying specifically and with deep concern for disciples... true believers!

Sometimes, we speak of "praying for the world." Let us not forget to pray for the Lord's Disciples living in the world.

~ Pastor Charlie Tan ~