As we begin our study of John with Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), we’ve been asked a few times:

What do you hope to learn from this study? What might GOD reveal of His heart to you this year?

Although this was a favorite BSF study of mine several years ago, I’m not really sure how to answer. The beauty of studying the living, active Word of GOD is that it is ever fresh and new! There are always new depths, new questions, and new discoveries.

Always at the top of my prayer list is a growing hunger to know the heart of GOD. John assures us in the very first chapter that as we get to know Jesus, the One and only beloved Son of GOD, we will see and know the Father also.

For today, I’m skipping ahead for a moment to catch a glimpse of the heart of our Savior as He prayed for His own in chapter 17. Despite the agony He suffered anticipating the price He would pay on our account, He took His time interceding before the Father’s throne on behalf of those who trusted and followed Him.

In those moments, He also prayed for all who would believe on Him through their testimony, all believers who would come after these first disciples. I am one of them. On that night, He prayed for me!

I can’t help but wonder if, by the end of this study, I will hold a deeper and more precious appreciation for these prayers, the heart cries of the Savior (that perfectly reflect the desires of the Father) . . . for me:

𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 [𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘔𝘦] ⁣
𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦.⁣
𝘐 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵.⁣
𝘐 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 ⁣
𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘫𝘰𝘺.⁣
𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥.⁣
𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 ⁣
𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘰𝘯𝘦.⁣
𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘺 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩.⁣
𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩.⁣
𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘔𝘦 ⁣
𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦.⁣
𝘐 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘦.⁣
𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 … ⁣
𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘔𝘦 ⁣
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 ⁣
𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦.⁣
⁣
𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝟏𝟕:𝟏𝟏-𝟏𝟓, 𝟏𝟕, 𝟐𝟐-𝟐𝟑