Cultivating a Deeper Prayer Life - A Theology of Prayer

Study 30

Text: John 17

"AND I HAVE DECLARED TO THEM YOUR NAME, AND WILL DECLARE IT..." John 17:26

Jesus brought His prayer to a close, focusing on the Name of God the Father. Surely, we are reminded of what He taught His Disciples in The Lord's Prayer,

"Our Father in Heaven
Hallowed be Your Name." Luke 11:2

The Name of God the Father was something that Jesus prized. He breathed God's Name again and again, with the greatest sense of love and reverence. His Name was, "Righteous Father…" (John 17:25).

The Name of God was invoked a number of times in prayer. Let us review how Jesus appealed to the Name of God.

"I have manifested Your Name
to the men You have given Me out of the world..." John 17:6

"Holy Father, keep through Your Name
those You have given Me,
that they may be one as We are..." John 17:11

"While I was with them in the world,
I kept them in Your Name..." John 17:12

"I have declared to them Your Name..." John 17:26

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DECLARE GOD'S NAME?

What did Jesus mean when He spoke of declaring God's Name? John's Gospel preserved for us how Jesus proclaimed His Father's Name. Let us consider some of the declarations He made.

Jesus sought to teach people how they should worship God as Father. True worship must be done in spirit and in truth (Cf. John 4:21-24).
He spoke of how His Father worked...through Him (John 5:17-21)
He spoke of how His Father had entrusted Him with full authority and power (John 5:22-30).
He declared God His Father as One who bore witness to His life and ministry (John 5:36-37).
Jesus spoke of how God had set His seal upon Him (John 6:27-29).

The God that many people worship seems so far away and unreal. Jesus declared the Father as One who was personal, real, close at hand, involved, caring and lots more!

Jesus never stopped declaring the Name of God His Father. He battled ignorance, wrong understanding, unbelief and lots more. The Name of God was too precious to Jesus to just keep quiet about it.

"THAT THE LOVE WITH WHICH YOU LOVED ME MAY BE IN THEM AND I IN THEM..." John 17:26

One of the greatest themes that Jesus proclaimed was about God's love. Jesus did not merely stop at declaring God's love. He prayed that God's love may be in the hearts of His Disciples. There is a significant difference between knowing about God's love and His love being in our heart!

What was this love that Jesus spoke of? Let us recall what He said,

"That the world may know that You sent Me,
and have loved them as You have loved Me" John 17:23

"You loved Me before the foundation of the world" John 17:24

"That the love with which You loved Me
may be in them, and I in them" John 17:26

Obviously, this was no "common love." This was a very special love that we must never allow ourselves to take for granted. Israel took God's love so much granted, that the nation even questioned His love one day.

"I have loved you," says the Lord.
Yet you say,
In what way have You loved us?" Malachi 1:2

Let us seek what Jesus prayed for. Let us pray earnestly that the Love of God may dwell in our hearts deeply. The Apostle Paul also prayed that the love of Christ may fill the hearts of all believers.

"That you, being rooted and grounded in love...
(may) know the love of Christ which passes knowledge..." Eph. 3:17, 19

~ Pastor Charlie Tan ~