Prayer of Love

Scripture Passage

John 17:6-19

⁶ “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. ⁷ Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. ⁸ For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. ⁹ I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. ¹⁰ All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. ¹¹ I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. ¹² While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

¹³ “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. ¹⁴ I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. ¹⁵ My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. ¹⁷ Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸ As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

Sermon Script

When you love someone, you care for them. You become devoted to their happiness and well-being. You sacrifice your own needs for them. You do your absolute best to make sure they are okay. We can say all kinds of things about love. But love shows itself through acts of care.

Jesus loved his disciples. He cared for them throughout his life. He didn’t just spend time with them. He protected them. He taught them God’s word. Most importantly, he revealed who God is through his love.

Jesus also knew that he wasn’t going to be with the disciples forever. Time was coming when he was going to have to leave them. He wasn’t going to be able to care for them the way he did all this time. That worried him. He became concerned for them. Will they be okay? Can they handle the difficulties and challenges on their own?

We experience this kind of worry in our relationships. We know we can’t always be with those we love. There are times when we have to be away from them. We don’t feel in control. That can make us feel helpless.

Last Saturday, some of the boys in our Hi-C spent the weekend at Braeden’s house. It was because Braeden is going off to the military soon. They wanted to spend the remaining time they had together. I’m sure they felt both sad and concerned for Braeden. That was what Jesus went through.

How did Jesus deal with this uncertainty? He didn’t deal with it by becoming more controlling. He didn’t try to manipulate his situation so that he can continue to be with the disciples. Sometimes, we can become possessive – in the name of ‘love’. Jesus didn’t do that. Instead, he prayed.

I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.

John 17:9

That is what today’s passage is. It is Jesus’ final prayer for the disciples. When we listen to his words, we sense how much he loves them.

Prayer is an expression of love. It seeks what is best for the other person and not what we want in that situation. That’s what St. Paul said about love—

It [Love] does not insist on its own way…

1 Corinthians 13:5

Jesus did not insist on what he wanted. He didn’t ask God to give the disciples an easy life. He didn’t ask God to shield them from all difficulties. He was concerned for them, but he knew that that wouldn’t do them any good. What Jesus asked God was simple. This was his prayer—

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

John 17:15

Jesus showed his love for the disciples by entrusting them to God. He didn’t try to dictate their future. He left them in God’s hands because he knew they belonged to God. He believed God will watch over them.

People whom we love and care about do not belong to us. We don’t ‘own’ them. Sometimes, our attachment towards them can make us think that. We can develop what is called a ‘saviour complex’.

Our friends, family members – they all belong to God. God is their Creator, not us. God entrusted them to us so that we can love them. That means at the end of the day, we leave all our concerns and worries about them in God’s hands. We trust that God will take care of them.

Today is Mother’s Day. We celebrate the love that our moms have shown us. We blessed them with the carnations we made on Friday.

Our moms want the best for us. They want us to succeed, do well, and be happy. Our happiness is their happiness. They will do whatever it takes to care for us. We experience their love in concrete ways all throughout our life.

But there is another way that our moms show their love for us. It is not what we always see on the outside. They pray for us.

As much as they want to do everything for us and make sure that we are okay, they know that they can’t be with us all the time. They see how much is beyond their control. They often worry and nag at us because of that. Yet, they also know that our life is not theirs either. They know that we are our own person. They know that we belong to God.

That is why they always pray for us. Because they love us so much. I see many moms praying for their children on Saturdays at church. They want what is best for us. Rather than insisting on their own way in the name of love, they love us by praying for us. They will never stop praying for you.

If you truly love and care for someone, pray for them. Do what you can. But always pray for them.

Praying may seem like an unproductive thing to do. It can seem passive and lazy. One comedian said, “Don’t pray for me – just make me a sandwich or something.” But I believe prayer is the most loving thing we can do.

When we pray, we acknowledge who we are. We confess that we are only human and limited in our own ability. When we pray, we also acknowledge who God is. We confess that God is good and will take care of us. We surrender ourselves and each other completely to God’s love.

Through prayer, we will find peace. Peace that calms our anxious hearts and surpasses all our understanding. We will experience joy even in difficult circumstances. We will see God’s love holding up and strengthening those whom we love, no matter what they go through in their life.

Pray for your friends. Pray for your family. Pray for the brothers and sisters in your community. Let your prayers be filled with love.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Ephesians 6:18