Father, Sanctify Them 

Prayer for Walking in Truth

By Kevin Senapatiratne

Because I was born with the last name Senapatiratne, I get into some interesting conversations. Most of the time people start by laughing at the unusual pronunciation. Then we talk about the origin. After I explain that it is Sri Lankan—and that Sri Lanka is an island country off of India—we sometimes get into discussion about the meaning of my name.

I was born and raised in the United States because my dad came here to go to Bible college. That’s where he met my mom. If you visit Sri Lanka today, you will not find many people with the name Senapatiratne. Apparently my great-great grandfather had a very common name in Sri Lanka, much like Smith or Jones in the U.S. He thought it was boring, so he took two Sinhalese words (one of the languages of Sri Lanka) and put them together to get Senapatiratne. The first part of the name means “captain of the army.” It can be found in the Bible where Joshua meets the captain (or commander) of the Lord’s army just before facing Jericho (Josh. 5:14). The commander tells Joshua, “Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing is holy.” The second part means “a jewel or precious stone.” When I explain the meaning behind my name, people often say, “That’s pretty cool.”

The Meaning of Jesus’ Prayer

Words mean something. And understanding what a word means gives it power. Unfortunately, sometimes we run across words in the Bible that we don’t use in everyday life. If you don’t know what a word means, like Senapatiratne, you can miss the richness of something for your life.

Jesus uses the word sanctify in His prayer—and this word gives us a glimpse into powerful avenues for us to pray. Let’s eavesdrop on part of Jesus’ prayer for us to walk in truth:

I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified (John 17:13–19, emphasis added).

We can read this prayer of Jesus’ many times and still miss the powerful connotation of the word sanctify. Jesus is issuing an invitation to a journey—a process—of becoming sanctified in the truths of God. This was really a prayer to bring us along on a course-changing, heart-pounding, adventure with Him. Let’s explore what it means.

The Adventure of Sanctification

The concept of being sanctified is first introduced in the Old Testament. One way to understand sanctification is to imagine yourself a priest in the days of the tabernacle. Perhaps you were a lesser rank, so you were assigned clean-up duty. In order to keep the tabernacle grounds spotless, you would need a bucket or pail of some kind. But you couldn’t just go down to the local convenience store and buy one.

A bucket used in the tabernacle could not be an ordinary pail. You would need something that had been made holy. No matter where you got it, you would need to go through a process of turning an ordinary bucket into one dedicated for the Lord’s use. And then that bucket must be used exclusively in the Lord’s tabernacle—never again for ordinary purposes. It was now holy. This was the process of sanctification.

The same was true of the priests who served in the tabernacle. They were sanctified for service to Him. That meant the tabernacle priests were set apart, wholly (completely) and holy to God.

Sanctify is a weighty word. It carries the seriousness of holiness, consecration, purity, freedom from sin, and right living with God. There is also power in the word—which is why Jesus prayed it for us!

The Mission of Sanctification

As Jesus prayed this prayer, He was inviting His followers to join Him in His adventure—set apart wholly to the Lord. Jesus was about to lay down His life for the mission, and He prayed that His followers would do the same.

This sanctification process frees us from the weight of past sin. We are now in a new season of being used by God. Sanctification also clarifies our priorities. Jesus’ priorities are now our priorities. And His model of sacrifice directs us as we make future decisions. Sanctified people act that way!

Listen to Jesus’ heart as He prays:

I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them (vv.  6–10, emphasis added).

Remember the illustration of the bucket that needed to go through a ceremony in order to be sanctified for tabernacle use? Jesus’ prayer shows us the way His disciples can be set apart or sanctified—by the word of truth (John 17:17). Paul perhaps hints of this ceremony for the Church when he says, “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Eph. 5:25–27). Immersing ourselves in Scripture—and obeying its truths—helps set us apart for the mission God intends for His followers. Joshua and the people of Israel experienced a sanctification (or consecration) process that resulted in adventure, battles, victories, and the fulfillment of God’s promises in the taking of the land. Before they even crossed over the Jordan River into the new land, Joshua told them to prepare: “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you” (Josh. 3:5).

What adventures might God have in store for us if we are willing to join Jesus in His prayer and invite God to prepare us—to sanctify us and make us holy? Imagine the possibilities of service, mission, and Kingdom advances!

The Prayer of the Mission

Jesus’ prayer also shows us how to pray for ourselves. We can pray that we keep moving forward in the direction God has for our lives. Andy Stanley, in his book The Principle of the Path, writes about the road of life we get on that takes us to destinations we didn’t think we were heading. This is why David talks about how God “guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake” (Ps. 23:3).

This is how I pray for my daughter. One of my mentors encourages people to pray Luke 2:52 for their children: “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people” (NLT). I use this guide as I pray over four paths my daughter walks: relational, intellectual, physical, and spiritual. I am praying for the Word of truth to impact her in these areas so she can partner with Jesus in the mission He has for them to do together.

As I travel the country speaking at churches, I often find a lot of Christians going through the motions. They believe in Jesus, but their faith is rather boring. If we begin praying Jesus’ John 17 prayer for our lives, we will find ourselves in a stronger faith relationship with Him. Jesus prayed to His Father, “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world” (v. 18). That means there is an awe-inspiring, life-changing, heart-pounding adventure in store for each of us who is willing to be sanctified in the truth!

Are you daring enough to pray along with Jesus, “Sanctify me”?

The Destiny of the Sanctified

I knew from an early age that my last name means “captain of the army.” This put leadership in my sights as I was growing up. And knowing that the last part of my name means “a jewel or precious stone” always reminds me of my value to God. Understanding the meaning of my name empowers me and encourages me to live up to the destiny God has for me.

In a similar way, understanding the full meaning of sanctification in the truth invites all of Jesus’ followers to experience the power of His prayer for us. When we allow the true definition of sanctification to transform our lives, we will enjoy embracing the adventure of following Jesus.

KEVIN SENAPATIRATNE is the executive director of Christ Connection, a ministry that seeks to encourage pastors, bring hope to smaller churches, and raise up a movement of prayer.

Jesus’ Prayer to Join Him

By Dave and Kim Butts

Jesus’ prayer is a great gift to each of us. It shows us His heart and guides us in our own personal prayer lives. Jesus knew how much this prayer would encourage us. So, in the hearing of the disciples, He expressed the importance of this audible petition: “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy” (John 17:13).

The disciples had heard Him pray many times. Imagine the joy welling up inside of them as they heard Him pray for them. This was no wish list from a prayer beginner.  Can you imagine how the disciples felt as they heard their Lord pray for their protection from the evil one, for their sanctification, and for their unity—that they would be one?

Jesus Wants Us with Him Forever

The last thing Jesus prayed can really excite and encourage us: “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world” (John 17:24). He basically said to His Father, “I’d like for all of My family to be with Me here in heaven for all eternity.”

We’re sure glad He prayed that way! Jesus had promised in John 14 that He was preparing a place for us and would come back and bring us home to be with Him.

When our sons were small, they would often invite their friends over and then ask us if it was OK. Similarly, Jesus said, “Oh, by the way, Father, I invited a bunch of My friends over to Our house. I hope it’s OK with You. As a matter of fact, I’d like them to move in with Us and stay forever. I was sure You wouldn’t mind.”

We take an important step in spiritual maturity when we begin to unite our prayers with those of Jesus concerning our heavenly home. Praying about joining Jesus in His house will help us hold the things of this world loosely. It puts matters in proper perspective. We could pray something like this: “O, Lord, how I long to be where You are. Everything around me and in me changes so fast. I long for a place of permanence with You.

Like David, I want to gaze upon Your beauty and seek You in Your temple (Ps. 27:4). Thank You for preparing a place for me.”

Two thousand years after Jesus prayed this prayer for us, His words come alive for us and fill us with joy. Jesus, who “always lives to intercede for [us]” (Heb. 7:25), prayed in accordance with the will of His Father for our lives today, tomorrow, and into eternity.

How encouraging to know that through the power of the Holy Spirit we can join with Jesus the King in the ministry of prayer!

DAVE and KIM BUTTS are the co-founders of Harvest Prayer Ministries. Dave is the chair of America’s National Prayer Committee. This excerpt is from their book Pray Like the King (PrayerShop Publishing).