基督为门徒祷告
约翰福音十七章11至19节
11从今以后，我不在世上，他们却在世上；我往你那里去。圣父阿，求你因你所赐给我的名保守他们，叫他们合而为一像我们一样。
12我与他们同在的时候，因你所赐给我的名保守了他们，我也护卫了他们；其中除了那灭亡之子，没有一个灭亡的，好叫经上的话得应验。
13现在我往你那里去，我还在世上说这话，是叫他们心里充满我的喜乐。
14我已将你的道赐给他们。世界又恨他们；因为他们不属世界，正如我不属世界一样。
15我不求你叫他们离开世界，只求你保守他们脱离那恶者（或作：脱离罪恶）。
16他们不属世界，正如我不属世界一样。
17求你用真理使他们成圣；你的道就是真理。
18你怎样差我到世上，我也照样差他们到世上。
19我为他们的缘故，自己分别为圣，叫他们也因真理成圣。
信息分享
在这篇祷文中，我们看见基督为门徒代求的，正是得蒙神的保守。祂分别在第11和15节两次祈求神保守他们。祂没有求神立即把他们带离这个世界，反之，祂祈求神在这个罪恶世界中亲自保守他们。
神究竟有没有应允基督的祷告呢？我们都知道，就在同一个晚上，全部门徒都逃窜四散，而彼得更三次不认祂。但后来又怎样呢？当基督从死里复活之后，除了出卖基督的犹大之外，所有门徒都再次立志跟随基督，甚至牺牲性命，对基督也再不离不弃。
怎么会有如此重大的转变呢？答案是神亲自保守了他们。他们纵然失信，但神仍是信实的，祂没有离弃他们，也不会把他们丢弃。神今天也是这样待我们。请翻阅约翰福音十章27至29节（27我的羊听我的声音，我也认识他们，他们也跟着我。28我又赐给他们永生，他们永不灭亡，谁也不能从我手里把他们夺去。29我父把羊赐给我，他比万有都大，谁也不能从我父手里把他们夺去。），基督的话是绝不落空的；当我们信心动摇的时候，愿这段经文成为我们的扶持和激励。
基督还有另一项祈求。祂祈求神用祂的话语来祝福和引导门徒(参约翰福音十七7节)。这一祈求同样适用于我们今天。神要使用祂的话语──圣经──来扶持我们在信仰中成长。它是我们的灵粮，也是引导我们的亮光。
缺乏灵粮，我们的灵命便难以茁壮成长。试问我们是否每天都享用充足的灵粮，抑或只间或浅尝？我们若忽视神的话语，我们将无法满足神的心意，成为神所喜悦的人。
反思：
我将你的话藏在心里，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.