John 17: Praying the Heart of Jesus

It was hot. Unbearably hot. But it was glorious.

I was in the midst of hundreds of thousands of people who traveled to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on July 16 for Together 2016—an event designed for one purpose: to unite as believers and pray for a reset of our lives and nation to Jesus. The event was primarily organized by young people, eager to have a generation-defining moment to call their own.

I oversaw prayer tents that were stationed around the Washington Monument. There were seven of them, staffed by national prayer leaders and other ministries such as Moms In Prayer, Cry Out America, and National Day of Prayer. Intercessors gathered in those tents to pray for the event, as well as pray with people who were longing for a fresh touch of Jesus in their lives.

The event was scheduled to last 12 hours, but it was cut short by five hours upon recommendation of the National Park Service because hundreds of people were overcome by the extreme heat. Despite the disappointment for the Together staff and the crowd, I believe Together 2016 accomplished everything God intended.

It proved to be a Christ-honoring event in every way. David Bryant, a national prayer leader, estimates that the name of Jesus was proclaimed, declared, and exalted from the platform at least once every three minutes during the seven hours!

Jesus’ Prayer Answered It was also a “Next Generation” expression of John 17. I saw the fruit of Jesus’ prayer in multiple ways.

It was a time when we felt protected as Homeland Security monitored our event, erected fences and security checkpoints, and helped ensure that no threat of harm could materialize against us. That was a major prayer concern, and God protected His people. It was a time of sanctification, as people got on their knees in the heat and pleaded with God for a reset of their lives and our nation. Large prayer walls at each prayer tent were filled with handwritten prayers that said, “Jesus, will You reset my ________?” It was this generation’s way of asking for cleansing and purifying of their lives.

And it was the most beautiful display of unity among God’s people that I’ve witnessed in my ministry experience. It was a very diverse crowd among denominations, generations, ethnicities, and genders. In Jesus’ name, the crowd put aside differences and honored and preferred one another. Joy and love abounded throughout the crowd—just as Jesus prayed it would!

The theme of this issue of Prayer Connect is joining Jesus in His prayer recorded in John 17. Lisa Crump covers the topic of praying for protection from an enemy who is active and seeking to devour and divide us. Kevin Senapatiratne writes about the meaning of his name (yes, you’ll want to know) and how it ties in with Jesus’ prayer for us to be sanctified in the truth. Tom White highlights the portion of Jesus’ prayer about unity, and he reminds us that believers must “rise and shine” together as a display of Christ’s light in dark places in our communities.

After the Together 2016 event was halted early, another part of Jesus’ prayer was fulfilled. As organizers said, it was never about coming to the Mall. It was always about going out from the Mall with the love of Jesus. People went from there to the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, on the Metro, and throughout Washington, D.C.—praying with people, forming impromptu worship moments, and proclaiming Jesus’ love.

I want to keep joining Jesus in His prayer, because the answers are beautiful to behold.

—Carol Madison is editor of Prayer Connect.