The Greatest Prayer Ever Prayed
John 17:1
We’re currently studying the last 24 hours of Jesus’ earthly life! John 13-17 is “The Upper Room Discourse.”
In our past studies we have learned that
- Prayerfulness is directly connected to great works!
- Prayerfulness is directly connected to our fruitfulness!
- Prayerfulness is directly connected to our joyfulness!
Now in John 17 Jesus models for us prayerfulness. This passage has been called “The Holy of Holies of the New Testament” and “The Greatest Prayer Ever Prayed.”
It’s so INSIGHTFUL to listen to the things that were MOST IMPORTANT to Jesus to teach, to impart to His disciples this last night before He was crucified. Jesus spent more time teaching and modeling PRAYER than any other subject the night before He was crucified. Why? At the CENTER of everything Jesus did was PRAYER!
Mark 1.35-38 In the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. 37 When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” 38 But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this PURPOSE I have come forth.”
Matthew 14.23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
Luke 5.16 So He Himself often withdrew (NAS – slip away) into the wilderness and prayed.
Luke 6.12-13 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles.
Luke 9.18 And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
Luke 11.1 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
They didn’t ask Him, “Lord teach us to preach, do miracles, heal,” but “Lord, teach us to pray!”
John 17:1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You.“
Jesus lifted up His eyes to heaven.
Postures of Prayer in the Bible
- Lifting up our eyes to heaven (nowhere in the Bible does it say that we are to close our eyes and fold our hands when we pray. Lifting up our eyes to Heaven is powerful!)
- Standing
Mark 11:25-26 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Luke 18:9-14 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men – extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Sitting
1 Chronicles 17:16-20 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? 17 And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the rank of a man of high degree, O Lord God. 18 What more can David say to You for the honor of Your servant? For You know Your servant. 19 O Lord, for Your servant’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. 20 O Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You.”
- Kneeling
Ezra 9:5-6 At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God. 6 And I said: “O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.”
Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.
Luke 22:41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed.
- Lifting our hands
Psalm 63:1-4 O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You, in a dry and thirsty land, where there is no water. 2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. 3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. 4 Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
Lamentations 3:41 Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven.
1 Timothy 2:8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
- Falling on our faces
Matthew 26:39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
Revelation 11:16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God.
Closing:
Mark 11:25-26 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Luke 18:9-14 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men – extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
“The condition of the church may be very accurately gauged by its prayer meetings. So is the prayer meeting a GRACE-OMETER, and from it we may judge of the amount of divine working among a people. If God be near a church, it must pray. And if He be not there, one of the first tokens of His absence will be a slothfulness in prayer!” — Charles Spurgeon