I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me

This past sunday we gathered at the home of our friends Ken and Carolyn. Ken asked if we could sing the song "Arms of Love", so we did. Here's the words for those who don't know it:

I sing a simple song of love,

To my Savior, to my Jesus.

I'm grateful for the things You've done,

My loving Savior, oh precious Jesus.

My heart is glad that You've called my Your
own.

And there's no place I'd rather be

Than in Your arms of love.

In Your arms of love,

Holding me still, holding me near,

In Your arms of love

We took some time to go around the room and share what the Lord has impressed on us this week, as we studied His word individually. One of the things shared is out of the Gospel of John, chapter 17. This is the prayer that Jesus prayed before He went to the Garden of Gethsemane on the night He was betrayed. The section that I had never noticed before starts in verse 6:

6 "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.

7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You.

8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.

9 I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.

I find it interesting that Jesus would say specifically that He was not praying for the world, but for "those whom You (God) have given Me". Especially in the light of the fact that the same book of the New Testament contains one of the most quoted scriptures in the world (John 3:16) which begins with "For God so loved the world...".

I am not advocating that we cease praying for the world in general. I am not saying that God does not answer such prayers. What I am pointing out (however poorly) is that Jesus' heart was toward those men He was in relationship with. One if His last prayers on this earth was for those men that God the Father had entrusted to Him. If Jesus is our example are we praying for those that God has entrusted to us. Also, are we a faithful people to whom God CAN entrust people.

I have to say that later in this prayer Jesus does pray for the world. In verse 20 Jesus says "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.". But he did not pray like we do. In His prayer He was sending those He loved best and those He trusted most to the world "God so Loved".