Introduction to the real Lord's prayer

John 17:1-4 (NIV)

After Jesus said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify You. For You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him.  Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. I have brought You glory on earth by finishing the work You gave Me to do.

When you think of the Lord’s Prayer, you have been taught that it is “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallow be Thy name….......” found in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4.  Actually, this is not the Lord’s Prayer, it is the disciples’ prayer.  The true Lord’s prayer is found in John 17.  If you skim over John 17, you miss the real depth of what Jesus is saying.  He prayed this prayer aloud; otherwise the disciple John could not have recorded it.  In fact Jesus prayed this prayer in the presence of all His disciples as obviously He wanted them to hear it and for us, through John, to read it and understand what Jesus wanted us to learn.

Keep in mind that Jesus knew when He prayed this prayer that the cross was facing Him.  His disciples then realized that the end was near when He uttered the words, “the hour has come”.  The disciples were filled with fear, knowing that their master was soon to leave them, yet Jesus was filled with anticipation.  Yes, He knew that He was going to suffer and die; yet He also knew that He would soon be reunited with His Father in Heaven. Recall that several times in the gospel of John (e.g. John 2:4, 7:30, 8:20) Jesus used the phrase, “My time (or hour) has not yet come”.  Yet, now, as He prayed this prayer in John 17, He knew that the time finally was here for Him to depart this earth via His death and His resurrection.  His work on earth could not be truly fulfilled unless He first fulfilled the principle of death (John 12:24).

Everyone reading this must realize that someday your hour will come.  You can view this both physically and spiritually.  Physically, your hour will come when you must face your own physical death.  Spiritually your hour will come, if it hasn’t already where you must make a choice between living your life for yourself or living it for Jesus.  Ray Stedman referred to this time as a time of “abounding opportunity” where once you make a decision to live for Christ, He gives you “almost unimaginable realm of service and blessing and glory”.  Do you or can you believe this?

In this prayer notice that God gave to Jesus the power to have authority over all people.  Such power and authority are manifested in Jesus’ ability to give eternal life to you.  Eternal life is knowing Jesus Christ personally.  The analogy might be knowing Jesus like you know your spouse or a dear friend with whom you can share anything about your life.  There is both breadth and depth in that enriching relationship and it is a wonderful thing.    Eternal life is your only hope for life after death and such hope comes only from having a relationship with Jesus.  Where do you stand? 

Jesus declares that He has finished the work on earth that God gave Him to do.  He is your example in that you should live your life so that as you near the end you can declare the same thing.  Do you know the work God has given you to do in this life?  If not, you need to pursue what that purpose is.  I believe that deep down in everyone’s heart, you know what your purpose is for living the life God has given you.  You know what motivates you, what Bible verses speak loudest to you, what calling(s) to which you gravitate if you avail yourself to listening to the Word of God through reading and hearing it.  Then, once you know what God wants you do accomplish while living your life on earth, are you indeed fulfilling that work? 

Again, deep down in your heart, your inner spirit convicts you whether or not you are fulfilling His purpose for your life.  You need to act upon whatever you sense God is telling you to do, either continue what you are doing or start doing what you know you are not doing yet.  If you don’t know and don't pursue what your life’s purpose is, what you are to achieve in this life God has given you, then indeed you won’t achieve much from an eternal perspective and you will miss out on the most fulfilling, abundant life God created you to have.