2 Samuel 13:1-39
John 17:1-26
Psalm 119:81-96
Proverbs 16:6-7
John 17:15 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.
As long as we are in this world the evil one will be active all around us and we will be attacked and tempted by him. Jesus prays for His disciples to be protected from the evil one. He reminds the Father that they are His and no longer of this world. He knows that to withstand the attacks of the evil one they must be sanctified by the truth of His word and through the sanctification of Jesus they are sanctified.
John 17:20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—
And as a believer Jesus was also praying that same prayer for us. All believers are one with Christ. One with each other, Jesus and the Father and now that Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit we are all one with the Spirit. As I think about this prayer of Jesus and how to apply it to my life I think it is important for us to remember that the prince of this world is the enemy. We cannot escape evil in this life. We will see it and be surrounded by it but we do not have to join in it. In fact we should not join in it. We have the power of God to stand in opposition of the evil one. As we are one with Him and belong to Him. King of Kings and Lord of Lords and do not belong to the prince of this world. When we fall into the temptations of the enemy and walk in the ways of the world it is our choice. Our weakness comes because we forget who we are and who we belong to and what we have been called to do. We are sent into the world as Jesus was sent into the world. Our identity is found in Jesus and the unity we have with Father Son and Holy Sprit. What does that mean to you?
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