Children’s Sermon

John 17:6-19

Jesus Prayed for his Friends

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John 17:6-19

Jesus Prayed for his Friends

While skiing, Kyle broke his leg. His parents and his twin prayed for him. Also, while Kyle was in the hospital, the pastor of his church came to visit him. The pastor prayed for Kyle and then he told Kyle that several other people were praying for him, too.

We are glad when people pray for us, aren’t we? (Give the children time to respond.) Yes. If we are sick, or have a broken bone, Like Kyle, we are glad when someone visits us or prays that we will begin to feel better.

Did you know that Jesus prayed for you? (Allow children to respond.) He did! First, while praying in the Garden not long before his crucifixion, Jesus prayed for his disciples. (17:9) He prayed, “Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth.” (17:17) Sanctify is a big word that means to make them holy.

Jesus had already taught his disciples and told them all about God and how much God loved them. In his prayer, Jesus asked God to bless and set apart his disciples so they would always be God’s own special people.

After praying for his disciples, Jesus prayed for you. He prayed,“Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who believe in me through their word.” (17:20) Jesus prayed for people who would hear his message because he knew his disciples would tell others. When the disciples told others about Jesus, those who heard about Jesus told more people. In fact, all through the years, people have been sharing stories about Jesus. You have heard about Jesus from your parents, a teacher, or the pastor. Aren’t you glad that Jesus prayed for you?

Kyle was glad that his parents and his twin prayed for him. He was happy that the pastor of his church came to the hospital and prayed for him, too. I think, though, that Kyle was happiest of all when he learned that Jesus had prayed for him many, many years before he was born.

Maybe, like Jesus’ disciples we can tell someone about Jesus, too. We can tell them that Jesus loves them and they will become a follower of Jesus, too.

PRAYER

God, thank you for your son Jesus, and your blessing on us. Today, we learned more about your love and that Jesus prayed for us before he went to the cross. We are thankful. Help us to love others enough to pray for them and share Jesus’ story with them. Amen.

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible