Why Did Jesus Pray for His Disciples?

Jesus Christ, the savior of the world, was a man of prayer. He prayed for His disciples before He left this world to be with His Father in Heaven. In John 17:6-19, Jesus prayed for His disciples and it is important to understand why.

Who were the Disciples?

The disciples were individuals who followed Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry. They were twelve in number and included Simon Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew (Nathanael), Matthew (Levi), Thomas (Didymus), James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus (Judas son of James), Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot.

Why did Jesus pray for His Disciples?

Jesus prayed for His disciples because they were important to Him. He had spent three years teaching them and preparing them for the work that they would do after He was gone. He knew that they would face many challenges and difficulties in their ministry and so He prayed for them.

1. To keep them safe from evil

Jesus prayed to God to protect His disciples from the evil one. In John 17:15, Jesus says “I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one.” The world can be a dangerous place and Jesus wanted His disciples to be safe from harm.

2. To sanctify them

Jesus also prayed that God would sanctify His disciples. Sanctification means to make holy or set apart for a special purpose. In John 17:17-19, Jesus says “Sanctify them in truth; your word is truth.. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”

3. To unify them

Jesus prayed for unity among His disciples. In John 17:21, He says “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” Unity is important because it shows the world that we are followers of Christ.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Jesus prayed for His disciples because He loved them and cared for them deeply. He knew that they would face challenges and difficulties in their ministry and so He prayed to God to protect them from harm, sanctify them for a special purpose and unify them so that they could be effective witnesses to the world. As followers of Christ, we too should pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ just as Jesus prayed for His disciples.