Before you read any further, think of someone who prayed for you. A grandmother. A parent. A youth leader, a coworker, a friend. Maybe someone you only found out about years later.

If you follow Jesus today, chances are good that somebody asked God for you long before you ever asked Him for anything yourself. You were somebody's prayer request.

In our Saturday night series, Live Like Jesus, we've been walking through John 17, the prayer Jesus prayed the night before the cross. In it, He names the things He did for the people He had spent three years with. He revealed the Father to them. He gave them the Father's words. And in verse 9, He says something simple and specific: "I pray for them."

Jesus Prayed for You

Jesus wasn't praying a vague prayer for everyone everywhere. He was praying for these people: the ones in the room, the ones He knew by name.

But keep reading. In John 17:20, Jesus says His prayer isn't for them alone. He also prays for everyone who will believe in Him through their message.

Think about who that includes. The disciples passed the message on. The people they reached passed it on. And it kept going, person to person, generation to generation, until it reached you. The night before the cross, Jesus prayed for you.

Take a minute with that. Before you were born, before you ever had a question about God, Jesus was already praying for you.

Three Ways Jesus Prayed for His People

So how did Jesus pray for His people? Look closely at the Gospels and you'll see three patterns. Each one shows us how to pray for ours.

1. He prayed before.

Luke 6:12–13 tells us that before Jesus chose the twelve, He went out to a mountainside and spent the whole night praying. Then, in the morning, He called His disciples and chose them.

Prayer wasn't the add-on after the plan. Prayer was the plan.

Most of us pray after. After the conversation went badly. After someone stopped showing up. After the diagnosis. Jesus prayed before. So before you invite someone to dinner, before the hard conversation, before you send that text, pray. It doesn't have to be long: Lord, go ahead of me. Open the door. Give me the right words. You may be surprised how often the door is already open when you get there.

2. He prayed by name.

At the Last Supper, just hours before Peter denied Him, Jesus told him plainly: "Simon, Simon... I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail" (Luke 22:31–32).

Jesus prayed for Peter by name, and He prayed about exactly what Peter was about to face. That teaches us two things.

Be specific. Not "God, bless Mike." Pray for what Mike is actually facing this week: the job, the marriage, the doubts, the kid who won't talk to him. And if you don't know what someone is facing, that's your cue to ask.

Pray past the failure. Jesus knew Peter would fail that night. So He also prayed for what would come after: "when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." Don't only pray for someone to get through what they're facing. Pray for who they can become on the other side.

3. He prayed beyond.

We've already seen this one. In John 17:20, Jesus prayed beyond the twelve, for the people they would one day reach.

The person you're praying for isn't the end of the line. They have kids, coworkers, neighbors, and friends you'll never meet. So when you pray for them, pray for the people they'll reach someday too. A handful of ordinary followers became a movement that reached the world. The one person you're praying for could be the beginning of something you'll never see the end of.

He's Still Praying

Jesus didn't stop praying in John 17. Hebrews 7:25 says He "always lives to intercede" for those who come to God through Him. Right now. Today.

That's good news. When you pray for someone, you are not carrying them alone. Jesus is already praying for them. You're simply joining Him.

Try It This Week

Here's a simple prayer, built from the way Jesus prayed for Peter. Pick one person in your life who doesn't yet follow Jesus, or who is walking through a hard season, and fill in the brackets:

Father, I pray for [name]. They're facing [what they're facing right now]. I pray they would [what you're asking God to do]. And I pray for the people they'll reach someday.

Then take two simple steps:

• Pray for that person every day. Tie it to something you already do daily: brushing your teeth, the drive to work, a meal.
• Ask them one question: "How can I pray for you?" It may be the easiest spiritual conversation there is. Almost nobody says no to being prayed for.

Somebody once prayed for you. This week, you get to be that somebody for someone else.

Adapted from Week 5 of Live Like Jesus, our Saturday night teaching series. Join us Saturdays at 6:30 PM, or share a prayer request at citywell.church/prayer. Scripture quotations are from the NIV.