{"id":55281,"date":"2025-09-13T11:43:37","date_gmt":"2025-09-13T08:43:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=55281"},"modified":"2025-09-16T09:04:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T06:04:16","slug":"what-does-john-1720-mean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2025\/09\/13\/what-does-john-1720-mean\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does John 17:20 Mean?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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John 17:20 (ESV):<\/strong>
\n\u201cI do not ask for<\/strong> these only, but also for those<\/strong>\u00a0who will believe in me through their word.\u201d<\/em><\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Who Are \u201cThose Who Will Believe Through Their Word\u201d?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In John 17, we find a deeply intimate and powerful prayer that Jesus offers to God the Father, often referred to as the High Priestly Prayer<\/strong>. In the first part of this chapter, Jesus prays specifically for His disciples His apostles asking the Father to protect them, sanctify them in truth, and unite them as one.<\/p>\n

But in verse 20, Jesus shifts His focus. He says:<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not ask for these only\u2026\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 meaning He is not praying only for the apostles who were with Him at that moment.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He continues:<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026but also for those who will believe in me through their word.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This refers to all who would come to faith in Jesus through the message preached by the apostles<\/strong>. In other words, Jesus was praying not only for the original disciples, but also for every future believer including you and me <\/strong>who would hear and believe the gospel passed down from them.<\/p>\n

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The Ongoing Power of Christ\u2019s Prayer<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This means that every believer throughout history<\/strong>, from the early church to believers today, is a recipient of Jesus\u2019 prayer in John 17<\/strong>. If you believe in Jesus because of the apostolic gospel the message of the New Testament then you are part of the answer to this very prayer.<\/p>\n

Jesus didn\u2019t only intercede while He was on earth. He continues to intercede for us even now:<\/p>\n

Hebrews 7:25 (ESV):<\/strong>
\n\u201cConsequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Romans 8:34 (ESV):<\/strong>
\n\u201cWho is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died more than that, who was raised who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This assures us that there is a divine protection<\/strong> and covering over every believer. The enemy cannot overcome us, because Christ Himself is praying for our preservation.<\/p>\n

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Are You a Partaker of This Prayer?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The question each of us must ask is:<\/p>\n

Am I included in this prayer?<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You are if you have believed in Jesus Christ<\/strong> through the gospel.
\nBut if you have not yet received Him, the invitation still stands. Jesus is ready to welcome you into the fold, to give you eternal life<\/strong> (John 17:3), and to include you in His ongoing intercession before the Father.<\/p>\n

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A Lesson in How to Pray<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In this passage, Jesus also teaches us something profound about prayer. He didn\u2019t just pray for His current disciples He prayed forward<\/strong> into the future. He prayed for generations yet unborn, for those who would hear and believe through the testimony of His followers.<\/p>\n

Likewise, we should not limit our prayers only to what we see now. We are called to pray in faith for:<\/p>\n