The Lord’s Prayer for His Disciples

Secured, Sanctified, Sent: The Savior’s Heart for His Own

Outline:

The Purpose of the Prayer
Petition for Protection
- From Defection
- From Disunity
- From Dispair
- From Deception
Petition for Purity

Scripture List:

Worship Song List:

Ten Thousand Reasons
Christus Victor
God, the Father of Your People
He Will Hold Me Fast
What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Christ’s Intercession: Protection, Purity, and Purpose

In His final hours, Christ prayed not for the world, but for His disciples. His intercession reveals a heart fixed on their security, sanctification, and unity in truth. This is the High Priestly prayer that shapes our walk today.

Christ Prays With Purpose

In John 17, we enter sacred ground—Jesus lifts His voice to the Father in what is often called the High Priestly Prayer. He prays not vaguely for the world but specifically for those the Father gave Him. His prayer shows divine intentionality—He knows the spiritual battles His disciples will face.

Protection from All Evil

Jesus prays for their protection—not from hardship, but from defection, disunity, despair, and deception. He calls on the Father to keep them in His name (John 17:11), reminding us that perseverance is not man-centered but God-secured. Christ's intercession anchors our confidence.

Purity Through the Word

Christ’s prayer then turns to their sanctification. “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17 LSB). He calls His disciples to be set apart by the Word of God—a purity not through law-keeping, but by transformation through divine truth.

Our Advocate Still Intercedes

The same Jesus who prayed then still prays now (Hebrews 7:25). This prayer is a model and a ministry. It instructs us how to pray for fellow believers, and reminds us we are upheld by the unceasing intercession of the Risen Christ.

Key Verses and Commentary

John 17:11 (LSB) “Holy Father, keep them in Your name…” – This speaks to divine preservation.
John 17:17 (LSB) “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” – Purity through God’s Word.
Hebrews 7:25 – Christ always lives to make intercession.
Luke 22:31–32 – Jesus prays specifically for Peter’s faith not to fail.
Philippians 1:6 – God finishes what He begins in us.

Key Words

Intercession: Christ’s mediating prayer to the Father on behalf of His people.
Sanctify: To set apart for holy use; to purify by truth.
Defection: Falling away from the faith; apostasy.
Disunity: Division among God’s people, which undermines gospel witness.
Despair: Spiritual hopelessness; countered by hope in Christ.
Deception: False teaching and lies from the enemy; combated by truth.

Key People

Jesus Christ: The interceding High Priest, praying for His disciples’ protection and sanctification.
The Disciples: The immediate recipients of Jesus’ prayer—those who would soon face persecution, scattering, and temptation.
Peter (Luke 22:31-32): A personal example of Christ’s targeted intercession.

From Intercession to Mission

Having been prayed for, protected, and purified, the disciples are sent (John 17:18). Christ’s intercession moves them into action. They are not sheltered from the world but sanctified in it, as ambassadors of the truth. So it is with us today—we are set apart not to retreat, but to proclaim.

Message to Original Audience

Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure.
He wanted them to know they would be kept by the Father.
He prayed they would be united in truth and not fall away.
He made clear their mission and message: sanctified and sent into the world.

Applications for Believers Today

Rest in Christ’s Intercession: He still prays for us (Hebrews 7:25).
Pray for One Another’s Faithfulness: Model our prayers after Christ’s—protecting, uniting, purifying.
Treasure and Obey the Word: God's Word is the means of our sanctification.
Guard Against Disunity and Falsehood: Be vigilant against deception and division.
Live Sent: You are sanctified for a mission in a hostile world.

Kept and Commissioned

Christ did not ask for the disciples to be taken out of the world but to be kept in it, purified by truth, and sent with purpose. His prayer still covers us today. We are held by His intercession and sent by His authority.

John 17:9-19 “The Lord’s Prayer for His Disciples”