We studied Apostle Paul’s prayers, how he prayed for the church. There’s a lot of exhortation there, because these prayers contain the teaching of Jesus Christ presented in all its beauty and fullness. And today we have this divine assignment that we should take these prayers and study how apostles prayed namely for the church. When we don’t read them, when we don’t understand them, it comes out that we don’t pray for the church the right way. We may read them and not even realize that we don’t understand them, and certainly don’t pray like that. But Apostles did pray like that, and they recorded those prayers in their letters to the churches. Why did they record them? – For our sake, so that we may pray likewise. Therefore, I encourage you to take these prayers, read them, declare and pray – in this way we will align our mind, our intellect to the way we ought to pray, as these prayers delight God. They demonstrate what God wants from us, a great purpose is hidden in them, because Apostles prayed for the church the way God wants to see the Church. So a great key is hidden here, these prayers are portals.
The time is for us to rise in maturity, and we should teach our churches to pray in the way Apostles prayed for them, not the way it seems to us. And we shall be built up around God’s Word and will rise in Unity around the Calvary cross, around the throne of God – this is very important! This is a command of the Lord for us to pray for the church according to His will.
This is delightful, how the Lord can take us back to Scriptures. And we are recovering from blindness and lack of knowledge. Sometimes we reach a point, where we don’t know where to lead the church, if to speak to pastors. Come to Scriptures, and you will know where to lead.
Carnal Christians and infants have one common feature: they have divisions. Spiritual ones look up to God. Lift up God and this will bring healing from all kinds of diseases. Focus on God, preach about God, reveal God, reveal God’s Word, and there won’t be room left for carnal things.
Revelation.
“I see the earth that was shaking as if intending to cast off all the garbage and dirt, which have thickened on it. Harmony was lost in some places of the earth as there was a lot of artificial thing, which is unnatural for the earth. The earth required fresh plowing and planting. The understanding was that the Lord gives us, His children, responsibility for the earth”.
Today we watch shift and change in people, in their behavior, as well as in the creation, and harmony is lost. Creation feels things. I remember how shortly before the pandemic I watched the birds, and they were as if totally gone out of control, moving chaotically, and I said their behavior spoke of an approaching catastrophe. We watch people being very aggressive. A shift of the mind, a shift of the spirit is happening, and we must not buy this.
The sorrow, the drama of this world has become a fashion. What can be more sad than a sorrowful young person? Young people, who are full of the strength of life must be joyful by default, because they have everything ahead, this romanticism, desire for an exploit. But they walk depressive, pockets full of pills, they take antidepressants since their school days, and sorrow becomes a fashion, a tragedy – a life style for young people. And this is satanic spirit, antichrist spirit, these are not just tendencies. This is the smog, the feces produced by the dirty demonic locust, which the devil looses from the hell.
Therefore, the church must not be sorrowful today, the church must stand in joy of the Lord! Paul says in his prayers, “that your joy may be perfect”. When young people walk sad, it means they are defeated, they are not victors, they are losers. This is why it is crucial today to stand. And the earth realizes that man is defiling it, he is destroying it, and creation is suffering because of man, because the evil entered into man. There’s nothing more poisonous, more horrible, more of the devil-likeness than man.
This is why it is so important today to pray for the church. Seek the prayer, especially those of apostles. There many prayers in the Bible, but take prayers of apostles, their will, what we should pray for the church, this is a hundred percent God’s will, because they wouldn’t be apostles if they prayed wrong. We have to build up thinking.
Likewise we worked on how to give word-praise to the Lord, and it was very difficult to have people learn to do this, many could hardly make it for five minutes. Don’t we have anything to say to God, who and what He is, can’t we reveal His beauty in words? Read the Bible, how David gave Him word-praise, Nehemiah, Daniel, Jeremiah and other prophets, Angels and brothers and sisters in the first Apostolic church! Today we have turned from disciples into laymen. But the most often used word in the New Testament in relation to believers was disciples. Both in the Gospels and Acts, and Apostles’ letters they are disciples, and Jesus is the Teacher. But today we have turned into lazy laymen who don’t read the Bible, don’t learn, they are simply comers.
Therefore, in the Apostolic church we must return to discipleship. And again I encourage to study Apostles’ prayers, because the purpose of our lives, congregations, churches and ministries is hidden in them- that we may be disciples and not laymen. Disciples not because you’ve come, but because they abide in the Word, they are disciples and not lazy neglected infants.
A disciple never promotes anything of his own, and spiritual one never persecutes carnal one. But a carnal one persecutes a spiritual, a carnal one is always unhappy. Spiritual one walks before God and reveres before Him, and all things about him are from the Lord – a hair never falls from his head without the Father’s will. He sees God in everything, because he has grown up in grace.
So this is our assignment from the Lord today, to enter into accurate teaching, and there’s no more accurate teaching than the Apostle’s letters.
I also want to take this under the head, the general shadow, which is above all. This is the prayer of Christ for the church of the Lord. What Christ prayed for us, so must we pray for others who are to come and who have come.
“I have revealed Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word”. (John 17:6) – Do you see? The Lord is praying for those who’ve come from the world, and we came from the world, and even those who had believing parents had to encounter Christ, otherwise they fall off. And it’s not that Christ begot them, it is the Father who gave them to Christ! The Father gave us to Christ. “And they have kept Your word” – this is our prayer, Lord, give us to keep Your word!
How can we keep the word? By keeping and fighting for the teaching. And when I speak today about Apostles’ prayer I feel a strong encouragement of the Lord, I feel the significance of this topic, I feel I must advance the Kingdom into our homes so that we learn to pray the way Apostles pray. I know, this is God’s will that we keep the word namely on the ground of Christ’s teaching.
“Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me”. (John 17:7-8)
I said it before that I would apply this prayer to myself: can’t we today reveal what He reveals to me? Can’t we give what we’ve been given? Isn’t today all His mine, and all mine His? Isn’t He my Father and I am His son?
We often read these words obscurely. If we put ourselves in there we would understand more and receive more. It is very important what the Lord reveals through this prayer, what we need to understand – we need to know the truth about Jesus Christ. He says, “they have known truly that I came from You; and they have believed that You sent Me”. Therefore, shepherds, reveal the nature of Christ, teach about Christ. Today one of the most unpopular topics in churches is about God. They speak of the church and other things, but not of God. Because to speak of God you have to live and walk with God and be connected with Him.
If I ask to reveal the nature of Christ, the mystery of Christ and the church it would be an unbearable subject, many pastors, would have no idea what I am talking about. Because the spirit of wisdom and revelation is required here, and righteousness in the Holy Spirit. It is easy to speak of people, point to events, plan activities, but there’s no Christ in this. Christ is in the heart of the Father with those who have truly received Him. Christ is a great mystery, and mystery is not given to all, but to those who fear Him, as it is said in the Scripture.
So, pray that the church is empowered by the truth about Christ, so that revealed Christ may sound in your gatherings and congregations, revealed God, the heart of God.
And John recorded this prayer of Christ to the Father – this is incredible! We find it quite rare in Scripture when Jesus speaks with the Father. But here before His suffering He reveals His heart and prays for the church, and this is a sacred mystery. Please, enter in it. Get empowered. Even the devil can’t say anything here, because he is out of place here. And so is the flesh, divisions, envy, gossip. Here is place only for God’s truths and Christ Himself.
“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.”
The Lord is not praying for the world. You can’t save the whole world. Sometimes we hide behind these prayers, but they worth nothing, because there’s no identification and compassion there. He prays for the chosen ones. The church of the chosen belongs to the Father. He says, “I received them from You, and they are Yours”! Christ doesn’t even count us His own – He gives all the glory to the Father, and that’s it! And “I pray for those who are Yours, and all Mine are Yours, and yours are Mine.” Christ shall be glorified in and through the church.
“Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are”.
He is coming to the Father, He’s done the work, the service, the exploit, He received death, gave His blood, gave His life, and now is returning to the Father, and is praying for those whom He is leaving, for you and me, so that Father God may keep us through His name.
Today this is our prayer – keeping the church in the word and the Spirit. Lord, keep the church in the Word, keep the church in the truth, in the Spirit – this is how we should pray – how Christ prayed for us. And this is difficult, because they settled theology on the Aristotle type of thinking, and it’s hard for us to reason the divine poetry. It’s hard for us to grab something in order to remember. But this is the spirit of revelation, it is poetic in God. We want mathematical thinking, point after point, but the Lord writes with life, He writes life with the blood. And I am so happy that God has such a language, which is not for all, but for the chosen ones and those who love God with all their hearts – to them this language is revealed. To strangers nothing is clear here, after 30 minutes nothing remains in them, they can’t remember or repeat – because they are strangers. And He prays for the unity of the saints in God and Christ.
“While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name”. Here’s the ministry of shepherds – to keep them in Your name, not in my name, not through my own abilities, but in Your name, those who are Yours, not mine.
“Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition that the Scriptures may be fulfilled”. And Jude writes in his letter “kept by Jesus Christ and sanctified by God the Father” – see how accurate things are with the Lord and the Apostles.
We may have difficult people, but perhaps we should still do everything possible to keep them, and not to cause their leave. I hear some pastors may say to people to go. The sheep are not yours, you didn’t die for them, so you have no right to tell them to go – the Lord forbid us such a word. Do not dare cast out those, for whom the Lord died.
“But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.” What kind of joy is that? The joy of salvation! Is there such joy among your people? Do you keep up this joy in them? What do preachers release? Joy of salvation or thoughts that lead to inners doubts where there’s no light. A kind man strengthens people, an evil man makes them weak. A kind man make a person’s life easier, an evil man makes it hard for his neighbor. Comfort people, so that, as Scripture says, My joy may be fulfilled in them. Because Jesus is raised forever, He is alive and shall never die. And we shall rise t life. Why don’t remind of this to God’s people so that they can have more joy fulfilled in them?
“ I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one”. (John 17: 14-15) We are strangers in this world. Suffering and rejection of the church in the world is normal. And the world has hated them, and today the church continues to experience their hatred, and we shouldn’t be surprised. The world has hated us because He has given us His word, and the Lord knows that not only He was hated and crucified, but the world hates us as well when we keep His word. Therefore, don’t try to make peace with the world, walk with Christ into the height of heaven.
“…that You should keep them from evil” – so that we don’t become like this world. I don’t think that suffering for Christ is evil, but keep them from evil – so that we don’t turn out evil, so that we don’t become of this world.
“ They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world – This is such a beauty, the church is not of this world! – Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” There, sanctification by teaching. As we now read and pray the Apostles’ prayers, we’ll get sanctified, because the truth sanctifies. “Sanctify them by Your truth” – and the truth is the teaching, the word. “Your word is truth.” Sanctification is not only by the blood, but by the truth. The Lord gave us the means of grace: the blood, the word, the Spirit of the Living God.
“As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world”.
The status and position of the church in the world is “we are sent”. We gather together, but we are sent! I am sent! The Lord sent Me into this world! And I want to send disciples into the world! The Lord send me as a gift into this world, and I want to give this gift to others, and send them into the world.
“And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, 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”. (John 17:19-21)
The mission of the church – that the world may believe. We are to bring this world to faith, to persuade this world to believe in God. Often we give a bad testimony, and the world doesn’t believe our words, because they see our works. But the mission of the church in the world is “that the world may believe” and “that they all may be one”.
“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them”. What a prayer, Christ inspired, crying out these words to the Father! Lord, what is this glory of Yours that you’ve given me? – Receive the Spirit from the Father and the Son!
And the Spirit that was on Christ is on me today! And I have received His glory! And even now I am speaking in the same Spirit! Isn’t this God’s glory?
“I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” The world will come to know God when the church gains oneness and becomes mature. There are those bridges that grow and thicken. There are gaps, but there has been no foundation. But this divine skeleton in the form of the Body of Christ – His bone shall not be broken – is getting thicker, and the man of God is raising in the perfect man, is being covered by mussels and sinews, and grows in himself in love. And these bones are the bridges connecting the Body of Christ, with the mussels and sinews covering, this is the rising Body of Christ.
The love of the Father to Christ and the church is one.
“…You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” – can you imagine this? He loves Christ the same way He loves me. Christ is not the only One loved. But with the same love He loves Christ He loves me! Because love is one, it is not several. Stop looking at the Greek language, rather look at God in revelation. Love either is or is not, there’s no second love. Friendship is friendship, but love is love. Eros – what kind of love is this? This is nature, desire of man or woman.
But love is one, it comes from above from God. I admire and am overwhelmed by this – “have loved them as You have loved Me”
“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am” – salvation of the church and abiding in heaven, He is leading us to Himself and preparing us. And we should teach this prayer as well, so that we are there, where Christ is, where He ascended and prepared a home for us. This is the heavenly, this heavenly speech, it is flowing from the prayer of Christ into our hearts. This is what we must be strong in, pastors, and not in the administrative issues, calls to do things pleasing people. No, but Christ – lift Him and His word up.
“that they may behold My glory which You have given Me” – Lord Jesus, I get it – You want to show me Your glory! He speaks to the Father asking Him to allow to show us His glory!
“…that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me”.
Pre-election of the church, and the church is coming into the glory of Christ. Do you know what the Bride’s wedding veil is? This is the glory of Christ. As it is written, “They were both naked and were not ashamed” – pure conscience, kind character, kind heart full of love to God. And the veil that covers them from the eyes of sinners is the glory of Christ.
And the church gets clothed in glory, naked and is not ashamed of the Bridegroom, but clothed in glory.
“ And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” This is the most important – abiding in the love of God and Christ.
Brothers and sisters, let us examine our churches, where love truly is their banner. This is not about behavior, this is nature, this is the spirit abiding in them – what we talk of, what we pray for, how we treat each other. The banner is love.
“that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them”
This is overwhelming, this is an ocean of infinity! This is my food, this is where I am going to stay, this is where I will wait for the hour.
I don’t know what you choose for yourself in Christianity, what you have in your head in regard to the church. I see the church beautiful, like it says here. And if someone is still lost in other thing, I will serve them, so that they lift up their dim eyes to the Sun of righteousness and get enlightened.