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Praying Like Jesus

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. JOHN 17:20-23 NLT

We can pray like Jesus when we intercede for others

To intercede is to ask God to do something on someone else’s behalf

Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. HEBREWS 7:25 NLT

“I pray that they all will be one, just as you and I are one”

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 1 JOHN 2:1 NLT

When we intercede for others…

We pray that the future we hope for comes to life here in the present

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.”

History belongs to the intercessors who believe the future into being – Walter Wink

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 1 TIMOTHY 2:1 NLT

Who in your life are you committed to interceding for in the same way Jesus has interceded for you?

Our persistency to ask partners with God to make the world right

And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened  LUKE 11:9-10 NLT

To ask in Jesus’ name, we must believe that our prayers actually make a difference 

May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. MATTHEW 6:10 NLT

And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. REVELATION 5:8 NLT

Our burdens shift from our shoulders into God’s hands

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. COLOSSIANS 1:15-17 NLT

Intercession is the movement from carrying everything on ourselves to placing it into the mighty hands of God who holds the world together

How can we put this into practice?

Begin with gratitude for how God has already answered your prayers

Utilize the My Notes feature below to record your prayers and intercede for people in your life.

My Notes

Personal Reflection Guide

Find a quiet place where you can be alone with God in prayer. Allow yourself to become still in your thoughts and feelings. Consider going for a walk and taking a few deep breaths to help you release any burdens you might be carrying. When you are ready, think about the prayer of Jesus in John 17. What surprised you about what Jesus prayed and why? Begin your time of prayer by thanking Him for some recent ways He has answered your prayers. Then, ask Him to bring to mind people He wants you to pray for and for what, and then pray for them. Next, ask Him to help you discern any others you are burdened for, and pray for their needs as well. Thank God for the good He will do for these people as you partner with Him in prayer. Ask that He will help you to persevere in praying until He fulfills His will for them. Close your time by thanking Jesus for His prayers for you and for the prayers of others that He has used to shape you into who you are today. Write down any reflections in the space below, sharing with your small group if you feel comfortable.

Discussion Questions

Choose a couple of the following questions from each section that best fit your group. Or, have everyone read the questions, choosing which one(s) from each section that they feel led to respond to.

  1. GET STARTED: God always answers prayers (yes, no, wait). As you reflect back on your life, what answered prayers are you the most grateful for?
  2. GET STARTED: On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your belief that your prayers make a difference, and why?
  3. GET STARTED: If the primary goals of prayer are unity and love, which of these could you use the most right now?
  4. KEEP GOING: Read John 17:20-23 (NLT). If you could ask Jesus to pray for you for anything, what would you choose?
  5. KEEP GOING: We are all the product of intercessory prayer. Some of the unexpected blessings in your life could be the result of prayers you had no idea that were being prayed for you. How does that idea motivate you?
  6. KEEP GOING: Prayer helps us avoid two postures: Resignation (the feeling that things will never change) and Independence (change is all up to me). Which of these two do you tend toward? Why?
  7. LIVE IT OUT: Read 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT). Sometimes it can feel like we are carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders, but prayer places that weight into the hands of Jesus. What burden are you carrying right now that you would love to release to Him?
  8. LIVE IT OUT: Our persistent prayers have the potential to change someone else’s future; who is someone you will pray for, and what will you ask God for them?
  9. LIVE IT OUT: At the end of your time together, have someone read Romans 15:5-6 (NLT) as a prayer of blessing over the group.