Jesus Prayed for You — A Glimpse Into His Heart (John 17:1-26)
In John 17, we get to listen in on a very special moment. Right before Jesus is arrested and sent to the cross, He stops to pray. This isn’t just any prayer—it’s deep, heartfelt, and full of love.
What’s amazing is that in this prayer, Jesus doesn’t just pray for Himself or His closest followers—He prays for all of us. Yes, even you and me.
Let’s look at the three parts of His prayer and what they tell us about His heart.
Jesus Prays for Himself
Jesus begins by praying:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” (v. 1)
He knows the cross is coming. He knows the pain ahead. But His focus is on bringing glory to God—showing the world how good, loving, and powerful God truly is.
In this moment, Jesus is asking God to help Him finish His mission: to give eternal life to everyone who believes.
“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (v. 3)
Eternal life isn’t just about heaven someday—it’s about knowing God personally, starting now.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
Next, Jesus prays for His closest followers—the disciples who had been with Him during His ministry. He thanks God for them and asks for their protection.
“Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name.” (v. 11)
Jesus knows they’ll face challenges once He’s gone. So He asks God to keep them safe, united, and full of joy, even in a difficult world.
He also prays that they will be set apart—not removed from the world, but made strong to live differently, to reflect God’s truth and love.
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” (v. 17)
Jesus Prays for All Believers
Now here’s the part that’s truly amazing:
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.” (v. 20)
That means Jesus was praying for future believers—including you. He prayed that we would be united, just like He is united with the Father.
“That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” (v. 21)
Why is unity so important? Because when we love one another and live in harmony, the world gets a clearer picture of who Jesus is.
Jesus also prays that we would be with Him forever, and that we would know how deeply loved we are:
“Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (v. 23)
That’s powerful. Jesus wants us to know that God loves us just as much as He loves Jesus Himself.
What This Means for Us Today
John 17 shows us that:
- Jesus longs for us to know God personally
- He wants us to be protected and filled with joy
- He prays that we would be united and loving
- He deeply desires that we know we are loved by God
And this isn’t just a historical moment—it’s a reminder that Jesus is still praying for us today (see Romans 8:34). His heart for you hasn’t changed.
Final Thought
Sometimes we wonder if anyone really sees or cares about us. But John 17 tells us loud and clear: Jesus prayed for you. He thought of you. He wants you to know God’s love and share it with the world.
So when life feels uncertain or you feel alone, remember this: Jesus has already prayed for you. And He still is.
John 17:1-26 (WEB)
17:1 Jesus said these things, then lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may also glorify you; 2 even as you gave him authority over all flesh, so he will give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ. 4 I glorified you on the earth. I have accomplished the work which you have given me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world existed.6 “I revealed your name to the people whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours, and you have given them to me. They have kept your word. 7 Now they have known that all things whatever you have given me are from you, 8 for the words which you have given me I have given to them; and they received them, and knew for sure that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I don’t pray for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All things that are mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name. I have kept those whom you have given me. None of them is lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to you, and I say these things in the world, that they may have my joy made full in themselves. 14 I have given them your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world. 19 For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.20 “Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me. 22 The glory which you have given me, I have given to them, that they may be one, even as we are one, 23 I in them, and you in me, that they may be perfected into one, that the world may know that you sent me and loved them, even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may see my glory which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 Righteous Father, the world hasn’t known you, but I knew you; and these knew that you sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and will make it known; that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”