Jesus Prays For Himself

The Prayer of Jesus

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone in all the earth. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do. And now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began. John 17:1-5

From it, we learned that the world is a tremendous battleground where the forces under Satan's power and those under God's authority are at war. Jesus prayed for his disciples, including those of us who follow up today. He prayed that God would keep his chosen beleivers safe from Satan's power, setting them apart and making them pure and holy, uniting them through his truth.

How do we get eternal life? Jesus tells us clearly here - by knowing God the Father himself through his Son, Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ, when we admit our sin and turn away from it, Christ's love lives in us by the Holy Spirit.

Confess your sin..

listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! Nehemiah 1:6

Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the LORD." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Psalm 32:5

But I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done. Psalm 38:18

I have sworn by my own name, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to my name." Isaiah 45:23

For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Roman 10:9

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results. James 5:16

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. 1 John 1:9

Before Jesus came to earth, he was one with God. At this point when his mission on earth was almost finished, Jesus was asking his Father to restore him to his original place of honor and authority. Jesus resurrection and ascension - and Stephen's dying exclamation ( Acts 7:56 ) - attest that Jesus did return to his exalted at the right hand of God.

While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knee and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:59-60

Stephen saw the glory of God and Jesus the Messiah standing at God's right hand.