(#1557) Day 3. Jesus Prayed - And I’m Called To Follow Him! (9/9/26)
Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (currently posted on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday) as we continue our 9-week series: Fresh Vision From Jesus' High Priestly Prayer from John 17.
To watch this devotional, go to:
Please read John 17:1-5
For me praying for the first time was a very strange experience. Having grown up without any faith, praying to a God whom I could not see took some getting used to. Added to that, I had no idea what to do. What was I to say? How long was I meant to pray? How was I to listen - does God actually speak? These kinds of things made the idea of prayer very unusual - but also quite exciting.
Looking back, one of the greatest helps was simply being with other Christians as they prayed. Attending prayer meetings taught me far more than any book could. I heard people begin with thanksgiving and praise, pray through passages of Scripture, bring the needs of others before God. Most of all I picked up their passion for God and those outside of the church - my heart was changed as much as my mind!
Using study guides on prayer was also helpful. All this to say that slowly, I began to gain the tools and vocabulary to pray personally.
Reflecting on my first steps as a baby Christian, I would say that I was a little driven and striving; I did too much talking and not enough listening. I equated effective prayer with lots of words and bustle - but I was growing - hopefully I still am!
At the heart of a personal relationship with God is the example of Christ - and Jesus prayed! Trevor Hudson writes:
‘If we dig into Jesus own words and deeds, we get a clear vision of what God's good news looks like in a human life. He is the fully alive one, who shows us what it means to embody God's life in a full, flesh-and-blood way.’ (Seeking God, Trevor Hudson, Page 24)
His High Priestly Prayer begins:
‘After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:…’ (John 17:1)
As He approached the cross and suffering, His preparation was prayer. We are called to follow Christ and He was a man of prayer. He was God the Son and yet He was devoted to personal prayer. It’s a great mystery that God (the Son of God) would need pray (to The Father) - but He did and so should I! Jesus prayed constantly. So consistently, in fact, that His disciples were moved to ask, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1). They had watched Him withdraw to be with His Father, seen the joy and power that flowed from His prayer life, and realised that they needed to learn from Him. In Luke we read of His prayer lifestyle:
‘Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.’ (Luke 5:15-16)
As Jesus' fame increased, so did the demands upon Him. Crowds gathered to hear Him teach and to be healed. Everywhere He went there were urgent needs, endless opportunities, and constant pressure. How did Jesus respond? Did He allow the expectations of others to dictate His schedule? Did the genuine needs of the crowds crowd out His time with the Father? Did He sacrifice His spiritual health for the sake of ministry? Quite the opposite. The busier Jesus became, the more intentional He was about spending time alone with His Father. Luke tells us that He ‘often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.’ This was not an occasional escape but a settled pattern of life. Jesus refused to let the urgent replace the essential. He put first things first. Terry Virgo wrote:
‘Jesus gave impressive priority to prayer, both as an example in His own life, and also in His teaching. His disciples, observing His personal prayer commitment and phenomenal success in life and ministry, asked Him to teach them to pray. They undoubtedly learned the lesson, so that in the book of Acts it is very evident that the early believers demonstrated their dependence on God in corporate prayer.’ (Virgo, Terry. The Spirit-Filled Church)
If the Son of God needed regular, uninterrupted time with His Father, how much more do we? The greatest demands on our lives are not a reason to pray less, but a reminder that we need to pray more. Our effectiveness in serving others will always flow from the health of our relationship with God. A relationship with God lies at the very heart of Christianity, and prayer lies at the heart of that relationship. Prayer wasn't simply something Jesus did; it was woven into the fabric of His life. If we have a goal to become more like Christ, then each of us must also learn to make prayer a defining rhythm of our personal lives.
Moment To Reflect
As time goes by, do you sense that you are growing closer to your heavenly Father?
What does Jesus' example of prayer teach you about the priority and purpose of spending time with the Father?
Is there anything that is hindering your relationship with Him or your life of prayer?
Download the booklet
Below is the link to download the devotional booklet: Fresh Vision From Jesus Prayer. This is a series of 27 devotionals based upon Jesus' High Priestly Prayer in John 17.
This year we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of CCP; to watch our anniversary video, please select the link below:
Community Group Study
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. Icebreaker
Following the summer period, you may want to use this time to catch up and reconnect.
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
Balanced Time Allocation - Please ensure a balanced focus on discussion, SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite), and prayer so that each section is meaningful and fruitful.
On Sunday, we began our new series, Fresh Vision From Jesus’ Prayer, reflecting on God’s vision for our lives and the church through Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer in John 17.
(Note: To accompany this series, we have produced a devotional series. To download the full booklet, visit our devotional page or go directly to communitychurchputney.com/post/fresh-vision-from-jesus-prayer. Daily devotions will also be posted every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday on the Community Church Putney channel.)
Read John 17:1–5 together and discuss:
What spoke to or inspired you from Sunday’s message?
Has anything from this week's devotions encouraged or helped you that you could share with the group?
On Sunday, we reflected on the truth that true life is found in knowing and seeking God, requiring us to constantly refocus our vision on Him.
What does Jesus mean in verse 3 when He says, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent”?
How are you currently pursuing - or how could you pursue - a deeper personal knowledge of God?
Let’s pray together:
For our new series: Pray that God uses Fresh Vision From Jesus’ Prayer to inspire, refresh, and re-envision us as a church.
For Serendipity: Pray for Graeme, the team, and the relaunch in its new format. Ask God to raise up more volunteers from within the church family.
For students: Pray for the young people in our church and community who are heading off to university.
Let’s pray for one another based on our study, and bring before God any other needs or requests for prayer.
SIV:
Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest in, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing testimonies of God at work through us.
Pray for the ‘people of peace’ in our lives, asking God to open their hearts and give us the Love and boldness to share His love as He opens opportunities.
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