Jesus Christ spends a lot of time in that prayer praying for His disciples as well as anyone who has chosen to follow Him. We can apply that to us today as we are His children and He is actually praying for us in that prayer (vs 20).
For this series of sermons and studies, let us take this prayer and apply it to fathers with children. We can learn an immense amount of 'fathering' from John 17 if we study what Jesus was concerned about regarding His children. We should also have similiar concerns for our own children as we are to be their spiritual guides as well as their physical fathers.
This has potential to be a very convicting study for us fathers regarding our own children. Keep in mind that Jesus was praying these specific things regarding us - we could at least do the same for our children, amen? Jesus prayed to His Father about His children - we should pray to our Father about our children!
Children
are Special
Children
are special to God!
Lo,
children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his
reward.
Psalm
127:3
Children
are special to Jesus Christ!
And
said, Verily I say unto you,
Except
ye be converted, and become as little children,
ye
shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Matt
18:3
But
Jesus said, Suffer little children,
and
forbid them not, to come unto me:
for
of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Matt
19:14
Children
are lustful - they need parents!
As
obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according
to
the former lusts in your ignorance:
I
Peter 1:14
Children
go seriously astray nowadays! They need parents!
There
is a generation that curseth their father,
and
doth not bless their mother.
There
is a generation that are pure in their own eyes,
and
yet is not washed from their filthiness.
There
is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes!
and
their eyelids are lifted up.
There
is a generation, whose teeth are as swords,
and
their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth,
and
the needy from among men.
Proverbs
30:11-14
Parents
have a responsibility!
1)
To know the times
And
of the children of Issachar,
which
were men that had understanding of the times,
to
know what Israel ought to do...
I
Chronicles 12:32
2)
To be the example
I
have taught thee in the way of wisdom;
I
have led thee in right paths.
When
thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened;
and
when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Proverbs
4:11,12
3)
To not provoke their children to anger and wrath
And,
ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:
but
bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Ephesians
6:4
Fathers,
provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
Colossians
3:21
4)
Teach the children what God has done in the parents life!
And
that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son,
what
things I have wrought in Egypt,
and
my signs which I have done among them;
that
ye may know how that I am the LORD.
Exodus
12:2
Deut
11:18-21; Deut 4:5-10; Psalm 78:2-8
Parents
have more understanding and wisdom than their children!
With
the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
Job
12:12
Such
a Joy to see the right results!
I
have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
III
John 4
Train up a child in the
way he should go:
and when he is old, he will
not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6