John 17:9-23
I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.
12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 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. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one [from evil]. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them [Set them apart for holy service to God] in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself [I sanctify myself; or I set myself apart for holy service to God], that they also may be sanctified [may be set apart] in truth.
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
Jesus felt so comfortable with His people (us) He would sit to teach, or sit in a boat to teach. When you look at the last Chapter of John's Gospel (Truth) you find the Disciples are sitting with God's Son, Who provided breakfast, and then they have the gall to squabble with Jesus about John and life and Romans. So, they were pretty comfortable.
And looking for a Super Bowl winning pass - one day they told Jesus, collectively, Jesus needed to provide them with Winning Prayer Ability. Jesus, being God Himself, replies with a story about friends. And then fathers and sons. Jesus was major league fond of these knuckle heads. Jesus didn't even call down fire on them when they suggested burning the Samaritans up. Jesus didn't even fire these men when they tried to chase children away from Jesus.
John 17, Jesus praying is alive. The Word of God alive tells us Abba prays for us. Revelation tells us God inhales prayer and hears us. Remarkable what such a Vast and Loving God does for us and His Abilities.
Famous people who pray have different ideas on prayer. Fascinating. Really we are learning our relationship to God is unique. Each of us. Our life story, what we learn from God. We are the Easter People and in the New Covenant, where John tells us Jesus is the Light of the World existing in all of mankind, the New Covenant also tells us Father God places His ways, His plan, and knowledge of Him in us.
Father Francis MacNutt (b 1925) is an American former Roman Catholic priest. Graduate of Harvard and The Catholic University of America, Washington. Author of "The Power to Heal" among many other books. Is now married to Judith MacNutt, M.A. - Christian Healing Ministries - a clinical psychologist. Judith first met Francis MacNutt briefly in Jerusalem in 1975. They have had many, many years of healing in the Name, Glory and Power of Jesus. My mother has friend named Patricia, who is also a psychologist, who was going stone, cold blind from inherited failure of blood vessels to the eyes. Patricia went all over the USA where the MacNutts were doing healing seminars. Patricia went everywhere Jesus was having healing. Patricia angered her doctors because she refused to learn Braille - a much needed step in retaining the ability to read when you go for sighted to blind. And fully astonished the eye doctors finding she was healed of an impossible cure. Asked why Patricia prayed with all sincerity and earnestness constantly to Jesus explaining to Our Father she needed her eyes to continue to heal people. Insisting this was in line with His goodness. Constant prayer. Sometimes weeping, sometimes angry. Patricia was healed for life.
Judith and Francis MacNutt have many, many people who fully understand they have a real and sincere healing ministry where Jesus and His Father work their mighty works. They tell us we have to pray with people for a long time and in this sincerity God is willing, willing, willing. And we know He is.
Thank Jesus.
My mother was healed of a documented Thyroid tumor by asking at a Wednesday Healing Service at Church of the Resurrection being Prayed over by Father Ted Nelson. Who would very, very promptly remind us Jesus is the healer and that is the end of the story about Fr. Nelson. Rightly said. My mother had had this tumor for two years according to her driver license photo. And Jesus healed her in about 15 minutes where she reported Jesus decided to microwave her entire body.
George Mueller was a native Prussian b. 1805-1898 at the age of 92. George lived and moved with joy in the great awakening of 1859 which he said “led to the conversion of hundreds of thousands.”1 He did follow up work for D. L. Moody,2 preached for Charles Spurgeon,3 and inspired the missionary faith of Hudson Taylor. His goal was to find homes for 150,000 orphans in England - and he did. While preaching three services a week. He spent most of his life in Bristol, England and pastored the same church there for over sixty-six years. George had a style of praying unique to him. He walked in a place, to pray for orphans or to begin an orphanage and he said, "Jesus, please."
I'm not sure we could point to many styles of prayer like we know about Jesus who loved to pray for hours to converse with His Abba. Making His Abba our Abba. We could remember something very important though - Abraham is the Father of Nations. Abraham was willing to stand and give God his life moving to unknown territories and finding rest under the Oaks of Mamre. Abraham was willing to go toe to toe with the God Abraham was certain of - created all of the universe - and ask God in His Nature to have Mercy and expect God to show Mercy.
Jacob understood the power of words regarding God. Jacob understood to break generational silliness requiring one blessing. Jacob was so certain of God's Willingness to Bless and lived each day of this belief. Even knowing to leave the promised land to let God be God. Jacob was renamed in this power of belief - The Nation of God. Jacob blessed and blessed and blessed and in this tender love - blesses us today. Teaching us of faith. God's Goodness.
David - his belief in prayer could shape our lives today. David believed that if God judged against us - because He is so loving - He would relent and harsh circumstance would reveal a blessing. David believed this without much proof for 21 years.
My opinion on prayer is this. Why wouldn't we pray the Lord's Prayer added on to with Revelation Chapter 6, the eyewitness of John seeing God's Kingdom, Power and Glory. And why wouldn't we close the Lord's Prayer adding in John 14 and 15 - praying in the Name of Jesus. And why wouldn't we pray in the style of George Mueller and believe Jesus knew the blind mens' needs before they ever did and pray "Jesus, please" and why wouldn't we pray like Pat as we have constant conversation with Father God. And why wouldn't we want to treat God with respect. Abiding in the Word of God.
Our Father,
Who is in Heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name,
Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done
on earth as in Heaven.
Give us this day
our Daily Bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into Temptation.
Deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory.
And when the saints go marching in, how we want to be in that Number.
Covered and cared, loved, and forgiven, upheld and encouraged,
We are praying for the people You have give us. Our loved ones, in Jesus the Lord. Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †
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