When Jesus Prayed for You

In this message, Chuck Swindoll invites listeners into the “secret and sacred chambers” of Jesus’ prayer life, distinguishing the prayer in John 17 as the true “Lord’s Prayer,” while noting that Matthew 6 is actually the “Disciples’ Prayer”. Swindoll focuses on the final section of this High Priestly Prayer (John 17:20–26), where Jesus looks forward through the corridors of time to pray specifically for those who would believe in Him in the future—including believers today.

Swindoll uses a vivid historical analogy involving Alexander the Great and the High Priest Jaddua to illustrate the power of being “named” in prophecy. Just as Alexander was stunned to discover his conquest was predicted in the scroll of Daniel 200 years prior, believers can find profound encouragement knowing they were on Jesus’ prayer list 1,900 years ago.

The sermon outlines five general categories of prayer—confession, praise, thanksgiving, intercession, and petition—before diving into the three specific requests Jesus made for His future followers: Spiritual Unity, Eternal Destiny, and Relational Love. Swindoll argues that true unity is not uniformity or unanimity, but a shared faith in Christ that requires “giving in” on non-essentials. He concludes with a moving illustration of a father embracing a hunchback son, demonstrating how God’s love claims us despite our spiritual deformities.

Message Key Facts:

• The “Real” Lord’s Prayer: While tradition calls Matthew 6 the Lord’s Prayer, Swindoll identifies John 17 as the literal prayer of Jesus, offering a glimpse into the intercession of the Son with the Father.
• The Alexander the Great Analogy: The sermon recounts the historical account of Alexander sparing Jerusalem after the High Priest showed him prophecies in the Book of Daniel (chapters 7 and 8) predicting his rise. Swindoll uses this to illustrate the awe of realizing we are mentioned in scripture before we were born.
• Five Categories of Prayer: Swindoll provides a practical framework for a healthy prayer life:
  1. Confession: Claiming forgiveness for sins that interrupt fellowship.
  2. Praise: Exalting the Godhead (often the most rare form of prayer).
  3. Thanksgiving: Thanking God for the obvious (like water and light), which cultivates gratitude.
  4. Intercession: Praying for the needs of others and recording the answers.
  5. Petition: Asking God for personal needs rather than “greeds”.
• True Unity vs. Uniformity: Jesus prayed for spiritual unity, which Swindoll distinguishes from uniformity (looking/acting the same, like Marines) and unanimity (agreeing on every opinion). True unity is based on shared belief in Christ, allowing for diversity in style and personality.
• Three Requirements for Growth: The sermon concludes with three applications:

• • Unity requires Giving In (flexibility on style).
  • Destiny requires Giving Up (abandoning humanism to accept God’s plan).
  • Love requires Giving Out (demonstrating affection to others).

• “The Hunchback” Illustration: Swindoll shares a story of a crippled boy mocked in Sunday School, whose father publicly affirmed his pride and love for him. This illustrates how God loves believers despite their “bruised, hunchback, broken” spiritual condition.

Message References:

• John 17:20–26: The primary text, where Jesus prays for all future believers.
• Daniel 7–8: The prophetic text shown to Alexander the Great predicting his conquest of the Persians.
• Luke 18:1: Jesus’ command that “men ought always to pray and not to lose heart”.
• 1 Timothy 2:1: Paul’s instruction to make prayer a first priority for all people and leaders.
• 1 Samuel 12:23: The warning that it is a sin against the Lord to cease praying for others.
• Ephesians 6:18: The instruction to pray at all times as part of the spiritual armor.
• Galatians 3:26: The clarification that we are sons of God specifically “by faith in Christ Jesus,” not universally.

Message Speaker:

Pastor Chuck Swindoll