基督為門徒禱告
約翰福音十七章11至19節
11從今以後，我不在世上，他們卻在世上；我往你那裡去。聖父阿，求你因你所賜給我的名保守他們，叫他們合而為一像我們一樣。
12我與他們同在的時候，因你所賜給我的名保守了他們，我也護衛了他們；其中除了那滅亡之子，沒有一個滅亡的，好叫經上的話得應驗。
13現在我往你那裡去，我還在世上說這話，是叫他們心裡充滿我的喜樂。
14我已將你的道賜給他們。世界又恨他們；因為他們不屬世界，正如我不屬世界一樣。
15我不求你叫他們離開世界，只求你保守他們脫離那惡者（或作：脫離罪惡）。
16他們不屬世界，正如我不屬世界一樣。
17求你用真理使他們成聖；你的道就是真理。
18你怎樣差我到世上，我也照樣差他們到世上。
19我為他們的緣故，自己分別為聖，叫他們也因真理成聖。
信息分享
在這篇禱文中，我們看見基督為門徒代求的，正是得蒙神的保守。祂分別在第11和15節兩次祈求神保守他們。祂沒有求神立即把他們帶離這個世界，反之，祂祈求神在這個罪惡世界中親自保守他們。
神究竟有沒有應允基督的禱告呢？我們都知道，就在同一個晚上，全部門徒都逃竄四散，而彼得更三次不認祂。但後來又怎樣呢？當基督從死裡復活之後，除了出賣基督的猶大之外，所有門徒都再次立志跟隨基督，甚至犧牲性命，對基督也再不離不棄。
怎麼會有如此重大的轉變呢？答案是神親自保守了他們。他們縱然失信，但神仍是信實的，祂沒有離棄他們，也不會把他們丟棄。神今天也是這樣待我們。請翻閱約翰福音十章27至29節（27我的羊聽我的聲音，我也認識他們，他們也跟著我。28我又賜給他們永生，他們永不滅亡，誰也不能從我手裡把他們奪去。29我父把羊賜給我，他比萬有都大，誰也不能從我父手裡把他們奪去。），基督的話是絕不落空的；當我們信心動搖的時候，願這段經文成為我們的扶持和激勵。
基督還有另一項祈求。祂祈求神用祂的話語來祝福和引導門徒(參約翰福音十七7節)。這一祈求同樣適用於我們今天。神要使用祂的話語──聖經──來扶持我們在信仰中成長。它是我們的靈糧，也是引導我們的亮光。
缺乏靈糧，我們的靈命便難以茁壯成長。試問我們是否每天都享用充足的靈糧，抑或只間或淺嘗？我們若忽視神的話語，我們將無法滿足神的心意，成為神所喜悅的人。
反思：
我將你的話藏在心裡，免得我得罪你。
CHRIST PRAYS FOR HIS DISCIPLES
John 17: 11- 19
11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.
16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
Message
That is exactly what Christ asked for in his prayer for his disciples. He said it in verse 11 and again in verse 15. He did not ask that they should be taken right out of the world, but that God might keep them for himself here in this sinful world.
Did God answer this prayer? We all know how that same night all the disciples ran away and Peter denied him. Yet what happened? After Christ rose from the dead, all the disciples except Judas the betrayer were right there ready to follow Christ anywhere, even to death.
How did this come about? The answer is that God kept them for himself. Even though they proved faithless, God remained true to them and held on to them and would not let them go. He does exactly the same for us today. Turn to John 10: 27-29 and believe what it says. It will encourage and help you today.
Christ also asked for something else. He asked that God would use his own Word to bless and help and guide the disciples (see verse 17). Again it is still the same today. God wants to use his Word, the Bible, to help us grow in our Christian faith. It is food for our souls as well as guidance for our lives.
A good question for us all: How much soul-food do we take in each week? Is it daily bread or weekly feast? If we neglect God's Word we will never become the kind of Christians he wants us to be.
A THOUGHT:
Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.