Praying for Protection

John 17:9-17

This is a continuation of Jesus' prayer - often referred to as his high priestly prayer. In this section he addresses the tension of living in the world but not being of the world. He asks his Father to protect his followers. I think most people would assume that he is requesting that his followers remain safe in his absence but that is not the case. Jesus is mainly asking his Father to protect his followers from the influences of the world, not from harm. If it was a request to keep his followers from harm, then we must consider Jesus' request unfulfilled since most of the apostles were martyred or exiled and thousands of Jesus' followers face persecution every year.
This is a vital prayer for Jesus' followers in North America today and for me in particular. We do not face much in the way of physical danger because of our faith. We do face much in the way of compromise and worldly influence. Jesus' prayer rings in my ears as I re-enter my normal lifestyle after being away for 12 days. I was insulated from media, from news, from sports, from the concerns of regular life. As I re-enter my routines and re-engage my regular world, I recognize the ease of adopting worldly positions, pursuits and recreations. I am praying along with Christ that I would be sanctified by God's word, that I would be protected from the evil one and his subtle strategies and that I would know what it means to be in the world but not of the world.