Jesus Prayer of Refusal

John 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

?Introduction:

It is important to know that the term “world” in the English Bible may be used to refer to the physical earth, the inhabited world, or the world system under the control of Satan. The first use would refer to God creating the planet earth. The second use we find in John 3:16? God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son… The third use we find in this verse in John 17:15.

Jesus was about to die on the cross. His disciples would be without his physical presence. But he wanted them to remain in his service here on earth after his departure.

We need laborers for the Lord’s Work:

There is always a shortage of workers for the Lord. In Luke 10:2, Jesus commanded prayer to God the Father for workers: Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest. Believers are left on earth to serve the Lord. We are not to retreat from the world, or retire away from service, but to continue serving as long as we are capable of doing so. One may not be able to serve in many capacities as we age, but we can continue to serve in prayer. Our physical and mental limitations do have an additional advantage – we recognize that without the Lord, we can do nothing of eternal value.

So, Jesus refused to pray for the disciples to be removed from the earth. They were to remain and serve, witnessing about his victory over sin and death.

We do need to be protected:?

The apostle Paul described the world of his day, stating that we live “in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation.” The god of this world is Satan. The world in which we live is not much better morally than that of Paul’s time. Peter wrote that Satan is as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He targets the believer – his health, his life, his marriage, his children. So, Jesus prays for us to be protected from the evil, including the evil one himself.

The Lord allows us to be protected by the indwelling Holy Spirit and our spiritual armor. He also may protect us in ways that we are not aware of – situations which he controls which protect us. ?He protects us through the direction of the Word of God.

The example of Paul:

Paul writes from jail to the church in Philippi. Would he be executed? Would he eventually be released?? Here is his conclusion: Philippians 1:23-25 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith…

Let this be an encouragement to us as believers to continue on serving the Lord, confident of his desire for us to serve him and of his prayer for protection.