As we approach this fifth message in our series on The Power of Prayer, we turn to what is perhaps the most sacred prayer ever recorded—the prayer of Jesus in John 17.
This is often called “The High Priestly Prayer.” It is not a teaching about prayer like the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6; it is a prayer of the Lord — an intimate conversation between Jesus and the Father before He goes to the cross.
To understand its significance, we have to see where it falls in the timeline.
Jesus has finished teaching the disciples in the upper room. He has washed their feet. He has prepared them for His departure. And then, before they leave for the Garden of Gethsemane, where He will ask them to pray and where they will fall asleep, Jesus prays this intercessory prayer.
In the other Gospels, we see Jesus’ anguish in prayer in the Garden. But here in John 17, we see His affection in prayer. In the Garden, He prays for strength. In John 17, He prays for others. Both reveal His heart, a heart that beats for the glory of God and the good of His people.
We Have Abandoned Prayers of Intercession and Replaced Them with Prayers of Self-Preservation
(MULTILINE)
Now, let’s be honest, one of the biggest tensions we face in our prayer life today is this: We spend far more time praying for ourselves than we do praying for others. That’s not always wrong; God wants us to bring our needs before Him. But when it comes to intercessory prayer, truly standing in the gap for someone else, we often offer a passing mention rather than a passionate intercession.
That’s what makes John 17 so powerful. It is not a surface-level prayer; it’s a sacrificial one. It is a prayer that sees everything, even suffering, through the lens of God’s glory. It is a prayer that teaches us how to pray for others with the same heart and authority that Jesus did. Through this prayer, we begin to see the difference between vain repetition and authentic conversation.
Intercessory Prayer Reveals the Power of Prayer When We See Change
(MULTILINE)
We begin to understand why some prayers move mountains and others don’t.
We start to see in our own hearts why our prayers are sometimes hindered. And like we saw last week, when we remember how God has answered prayers before, we approach Him not as whining children begging for dessert before dinner, but as grateful sons and daughters with broken hearts for a broken world.
Before we unpack the text, let’s take a moment to look at some practical frameworks that can help guide our prayers — not to restrict us, but to keep us focused and intentional.
A.C.T.S. — Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication.
This simple structure, popularized by Bill Hybels in Too Busy Not to Pray, helps us keep our hearts aligned before we bring our requests.
N.E.A.R. — Name, Express, Ask, Respond.
This model reminds us that prayer draws us near to God. We name our emotions, express them honestly, ask God for revelation, and respond to His Spirit.
P.R.A.Y. — Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield.
Rooted in the Lord’s Prayer, this pattern walks us from worship to surrender.
3D Prayer. — Desire, Discipline, Delight.
We name our desires before God, ask for discipline to stay faithful, and then delight in His mercy and presence.
It doesn’t matter which structure we use, what matters is that we are cultivating a conversational relationship with God. Intercessory prayer is not optional for the believer — it’s essential. And maybe that’s why many of us never truly see the power of prayer: because we haven’t yet embraced the posture of intercession.
Think about this: Even now, Jesus continues His ministry in Heaven, interceding for us (Hebrews 4:14-15; 7:25; 8:1,6; Romans 8:34). And the Holy Spirit joins Him, interceding for us with groans too deep for words (Romans 8:26-27).
Intercessory Prayer Acknowledges the Relationship Between Father & Son
John 17:1-5
Before Jesus Prayed for Others, He Connected with the Father
(MULTILINE)
When we begin prayer with the awareness of God’s glory, it realigns our hearts. It reminds us that prayer is not a performance or a grocery list, it’s a sacred conversation with the God of the universe.
Eternal Life is About Knowing God Now, It’s Not Just about Heaven Later
(MULTILINE)
Jesus Doesn’t Only Pray for our Beginning of Faith, He Prays for Our Finish
(MULTILINE)
Intercessory prayer isn’t limited to pastors, missionaries, or ministry leaders. It’s for every believer. It’s for that friend whose marriage is struggling. For the coworker who’s restless and searching. For the loved one who’s far from the Lord and needs a breakthrough. It’s for the one who keeps coming to you with the same pain over and over, and what they really need is for you to carry them to Jesus in prayer. That’s intercession.
It’s standing in the gap. It’s saying, “God, shake the ground they’re standing on if that’s what it takes to set them free.” It’s praying until change isn’t just a word, it’s a reality. All of this sets up the rest of John 17. Before Jesus prays for His disciples, before He prays for the world, He first acknowledges His relationship with the Father, and that’s where all true intercession begins.
Intercessory Prayer is Mindful of Our Fellow Believers
John 17:6-12
The Closer We Walk with God, the More Natural it is to Talk with Him
(MULTILINE)
It’s a reminder that intercession always flows outward. It begins with our relationship with the Father, but it moves toward others. True prayer never stops with “me.” It always reaches “we.”
A Christlike Thing We Can Do for Someone is Pray for Them
(MULTILINE)
Sometimes our prayers sound simple: “Lord, give them peace today.” “Lord, help them have a good day.” And we might think that sounds too small, too ordinary. But a good day can be the seed of a changed life. A moment of peace can open the door for repentance. A single answered prayer can remind someone that God has not forgotten them.
(MULTILINE)
Every Name We Whisper in Prayer Echoes Through Eternity
(MULTILINE)
Intercessory Prayer Highlights Spiritual Battles and Splintered Relationships
John 17:13-19
Here, Jesus’ prayer becomes both profoundly theological and deeply practical.
His words call us to pause and consider the beauty of His concern, for the disciples, for the world, for God’s truth, for eternal life, and for our relationships. Now, He turns our attention to the spiritual battles we face and the disunity in the world. Jesus prays for protection, protection from the world, protection from the evil one, and protection from vision drift.
When We Pray for Someone, the Unseen Spiritual Battle Becomes Less Lonely
(MULTILINE)
Intercessory Prayer Keeps Our Vision Sharp and Relationships Intact
(MULTILINE)
Vision Drift Steals More Than Focus; It Steals Joy, Peace, and Unity
(MULTILINE)
When we walk in step with the Lord, following His mission day by day, we experience purpose, value, and even joy, even amid trials.
But when we chase our own path, when we prioritize the world’s desires over God’s, relationships suffer. We become less patient, less kind, less long-suffering, less joyful — and the other fruits of the Spirit fade. Jesus’ intercession reminds us: staying aligned with God’s mission is not just about success, it’s about spiritual stability, relational health, and joy.
Intercessory Prayer Brings Unity
John 17:20-26
The unity Jesus models in His intercessory prayer is far greater, far deeper. It is unity with the Father, with the Son, with the Spirit, and with other believers.
This is why intercessory prayer is so powerful: when we pray “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we are participating in a glimpse of the beauty and magnificence of God’s kingdom.
Intercessory Prayer Helps Us Be More Aligned with God’s Will
(MULTILINE)
This unity unfolds in our own lives when we pray for others, not to be like us, but to be like Christ. It begins in our inner prayer life: asking God to reveal our blind spots, confessing selfishness, letting go of grudges, and choosing patience and love.
When we do this, we see that believers — those who proclaim Jesus as Lord — are truly our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are on the same team. We share the same mission: to expand heaven and diminish the influence of hell — not for our glory, not for accolades or recognition, but for the glory of God the Father, so the world sees the truth of Jesus Christ and hears the good news:
Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and those who believe in Him will have forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
Unity in the Kingdom Starts with Praying for Others, not Controlling Them
(MULTILINE)
Today We Pray…
One church. One Spirit. One voice lifted to heaven.
(MULTILINE)
In a moment, our elders and volunteers are going to begin passing out those requests. You’ll receive a card with someone’s prayer need. You may not know them, but God does. As you hold that card, remember:
This is someone’s heart on paper.
This is someone’s need being lifted to heaven.
And right now, you get to join Jesus, the One who still intercedes for us, in praying for them.
When you hold that card, you’re holding someone’s story
