INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PRAYER MATT CANDLER PRAYER AND PROPHETIC CONFERENCE John 17 and the Impact of the Apostolic Prayers

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1 INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PRAYER MATT CANDLER PRAYER AND PROPHETIC CONFERENCE 2014 John 17 and the Impact of the Apostolic Prayers I. OVERVIEW A. John 17 Overview B. Relationship Between John 17 and the Apostolic Prayers C. The Impact of Praying the Apostolic Prayers II. JOHN 17 OVERVIEW A. John 17 is the foundation for all of the apostolic prayers. It is the longest and greatest intercessory prayer in the whole Bible (26 verses). It is the longest prayer of Jesus recorded in the Word of God. It's a very precious, endearing, and dramatic passage of scripture. Jesus prays for the glory of the Father and the growth of His followers. 1. These are the things that Jesus would ask His Father if He had one more time to cry out for His Bride before He was to leave this world. 2. If we could ask Jesus right now, what was the thing most precious to you in the final hours of your life before you ascended to the Father to sit at His right hand? John 17 would be the answer. B. It was just past midnight. Jesus is hours away from embracing the cross. Recorded for us is the prayer of a condemned Man about to die making His last petition. Jesus and His disciples are making their way to Gethsemane but haven t reached the Kedron Valley (Jn. 18:1). They are probably somewhere in the vicinity of the temple or the temple area. This was the very place where the high priests offered prayers for the people. C. Context: Once a year on the Day of Atonement (Lev.16) the high priest of Israel would go into the temple and would offer three prayers: for himself, for his fellow priests, for all the people of God. Having offered these 3 prayers the high priest would come out of the temple and kill the sacrifice. D. Jesus is deliberately taking the role of the high priest - with only one difference. He is the sacrifice. This is why this prayer is referred to the high priestly prayer. In like manner, Jesus prayed for 3 things in this prayer: Himself, His apostles, & all believers

2 John 17 and the Impact of the Apostolic Prayers Page!2 1. Jesus prays for Himself - that He would be glorified (Jn. 17:1-5; 5 verses). Jesus is praying that the Father would help Him as He is about to embrace the Cross. In other words Jesus asks the Father to anoint (glorify) him before He goes to the cross. Jesus asks for glory in His death. 2. Jesus prays for His apostles - to be sanctified/wholehearted (Jn. 17:6-19; 14 verses). a. He prays for the birthing of the early church in the book of Acts. It may not look that way, because He's praying for the twelve apostles. In essence, that's for the birthing of the early church. because Jesus knew that the success of the apostles meant the success of the early church. Imagine this! The inheritance of Jesus is entrusted to these 11 young men. Jesus asks His Father to help these leaders that are going to take care of His purpose in the first generation. b. He prays that the Spirit of God would keep, protect, guide, and use them. I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. (John 17:11) c. Jesus prays for their preservation from the hatred of the world and the evil one that was roused because of Christ s word in them. 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 pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. (Jn 17:14-16)! d. Jesus prays they would be sanctified by the truth as the means of their preservation. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. (John 17:17) 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; (1 Th 4:3) 3. Jesus prays for all believers - to be unified in love with Jesus (Jn. 17:20-26; 7 verses). We will look at this in more detail. E. John 17 is the home and heart of all the apostolic prayers found throughout the New Testament. The apostles and the New Testament church carried the baton of the yet-to-be answered prayers which Jesus began. III. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JOHN 17 AND THE APOSTOLIC PRAYERS A. Eph. 1:17-19: Father of glory - Jn. 17:1, 11; spirit of wisdom and revelation eyes enlightened - Jn. 17: 3, 6, 8, 14, 24, 25; His inheritance in the saints - Jn. 17: 24; Greatness of His power - Jn. 17:22.

3 John 17 and the Impact of the Apostolic Prayers Page!3 B. Eph. 3:16-19: Strengthened with might in the inner man - Jn. 17:11, 12, 15, 17, 23, 26; Christ may dwell in your hearts - Jn. 17:10. C. Phil 1:9-11: Your love may abound in knowledge & discernment- Jn. 17:11, 21,22, 23; 26; Fruits of righteousness - Jn. 17:16, 17, 19, 23. D. Romans 10:1 Jn. 17:20, 21. E. Romans 15:5-7: Like-Minded one mind and one mouth glorify God- Jn. 17: 11, 21, 22, 23; F. Romans 15:13 - Filled with joy, peace, hope - Jn. 17:13, 15. G. 1 Thes. 3:9-13: Perfect what is lacking - Jn. 17:19, 23; Increase and abound in love to one another and to all - Jn. 17: 11, 21, 22, 23, 26; Establish your hearts blameless in holiness - Jn. 17:17, 19, 23. H. 2 Thes.1:11-12: Count you worthy of the calling - Jn. 17:23; Glorified in you - Jn. 17:10; 26. I. 2 Thes. 3:1-5: Word of the Lord run swiftly - Jn. 17: 8, 26; and be glorified - Jn. 17:10, 22, 24. J. 1 Cor. 1:4-8: Enriched in everything in all utterance and knowledge - Jn. 17:7-8, 22, 25, 26; Come short in no gift - Jn. 17: 23. K. Col. 1:9-12: Knowledge of His will - Jn. 17:18, 26; Increasing in the knowledge of God - see Eph 1 references; Strengthened with all might - see Eph. 3 references. IV. IMPACT OF PRAYING BIBLICAL PRAYERS A. They impact our view & relationship with God. 1. God-Centered - One of the greatest values of praying biblical prayers is that we come face to face with God. When praying bible prayers we grow in the revelation of God s heart. We rub up against the riches of His glory, His internal makeup, His thoughts, His plans. This is what makes prayer so enjoyable, God. All of the approximately New Testament prayers are directed to and focused on God instead of sin and the devil. Our primary focus is Godcentered prayers rather than demon-centered or sin-focused prayers. Apart from praying biblefocused prayers we are left to praying to the god-of-our-unrenewed-mind, a god more or less like ourselves, created in our image. Jesus taught us to direct our prayers to the Father. (Matt 18:19; Luke 11:2; 11:13; Jn. 16:23) 2. Assurance - Because bible prayers are God s prayers (what He wants), we have the certainty of His desire to answer. These prayers burn in God s heart. They are guaranteed. Like a check that has already been signed by God (i.e. in Jesus Name ), He is waiting for a co-signer.

4 John 17 and the Impact of the Apostolic Prayers Page!4 3. Heart Language - One of the most difficult things for most people at the onset of their prayer life is knowing what to say; what and how to pray. Most cannot find language to express their heart to God. They wait to be inspired, etc. B. They impact our emotional chemistry. 1. When we give ourselves to praying bible prayers our emotional chemistry is dynamically impacted Bible prayers were designed by God to heal and empower the human spirit. 2. Our hearts are constructed in such a way that they soar under the positive principles embodied in the apostolic prayers. God knows the human heart like no one else. The apostolic prayers are human friendly. God designed these prayers for weak and broken people to soar in God and to enjoy unity with Him and with each other. C. They impact our view of ourselves. 1. When we give ourselves to praying bible prayers we realize that the Father relates to us in the way that He relates to Jesus, even while we are maturing (1 Jn. 4:17; Jn. 17:23). 2. In praying bible prayers we begin to view ourselves the way that God does, namely as sons of God and the bride of Christ. As sons of God we are in the position to experience God s throne as heirs of His power/authority (Rev. 3:21; Rom. 8:17). As the bride of Christ, we are in position to experience the deep things of God s heart (emotions, affections or desire for us). Both are unique positions of privilege before God. 3. This culminates in us being grounded in our primary identity as loved and lovers of God. D. They impact our view of others. 1. Unify God s Family in Love (for each other) - in praying bible prayers we begin to view the church as our family that God desperately loves, mature and immature. We see them as David did in Psalm 16:3, the excellent ones in whom is all My delight When we pray for the church, we love the church. The tendency to have an adversarial attitude towards the church is overcome by praying for it. 2. Lost - when we pray bible prayers we begin to see the harvest as the inheritance of God, sons for the Father and a bride for Jesus. We begin to see the eternal value of the human spirit. E. They impact corporate prayer meetings. 1. We encourage people to not just pray the bible but to pray bible prayers.

5 John 17 and the Impact of the Apostolic Prayers Page!5 2. Positive-Focused Biblical Prayers - the majority of all bible prayers (especially New Testament) is for the release of positive realities. So instead praying against fear, they pray for the release of the peace of God. Joy and gladness are a result of a positive focus. Example - turning lights on to get darkness out of a room. 3. Unify - Unify God s Family in Intercessory Agreement; Unbiblical, negative, preachy prayers are challenging to agree with. The result is that others in the prayer room are distracted and disengaged. God answers negative prayer, but it often hinders the unity of weak people in a prayer room.