John 17:6–11 (ESV): I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.
 
In verse 7, we see that Jesus revealed that the father is where he received his directives. 
 
In verse 8, we see that those words were given to those that were given to him by the Father. The objective of Jesus was to usher the words given to him to each of those he had chosen. He desired that they would receive the words of life given to him by the Father.
 
In verse 9, Jesus states who he is praying for. Those that were given to him who had the truth deposited and cultivated in them, were his focus. 
 
And in verse 10 he declares that he is glorified in them.  The word “glorify” in the Greek is understood to be “to cause to have splendid greatness.” So through the process of verse 7-9, Jesus is glorified. He is caused to have splendid greatness by the revealing of the Father in these who were given to him. He is glorified when the words given to him by the Father are planted in the lives of those who were given to him. 
 
Nowhere, I can’t find it, where Jesus prays for huge numbers or great impact or world-wide ministry. Jesus simply honors the Father by stewarding well the 12 who were given to him. 
 
He even excludes prayer (at this point) of anyone else except those that the Father gave to him. 
 
Bigger, more, breadth, scope, large isn’t even in the mind of Jesus. He only cares for what the Father gave him and what was told to him to do with those who are given to him. 
 
This is the prayer of Jesus in front of these men. He wanted them to hear his prayer so they would see without any doubt what was on his mind in regard to them. 
 
I wonder if there is any merit to drawing down our influence on so many others?
 
In a world where success is defined by the number of followers or the number of those influenced, we see Jesus saying, I am not praying for everyone, only those given to me.
 
There sure is a difference between who the Father gives us and who we give to ourselves right? I give to myself as much as I can because it makes me feel better about myself to know there are alot of people in my influence. 
 
Who is really the giver? Is it me or God? What am I truly satisfied with, those given to me or the fact that I can compile a list of people that garners clout and status for me? 
 
Look at Jesus, he was content with the 12 because that is who the Father gave him to influence. He knew that what the Father gives, the Father blesses.
 
Even as Jesus expands his prayer to a large group of people a few verses on (everyone), it is implied that the prayer could only be answered through the 12 he was originally praying for. 
 
Shrink your list friend. 
 
Growth of your influence on others requires shrinking your list of those influenced. The primary ministry of Jesus was not the masses, it was the 12. He absolutely came to seek and to save the lost, he said so. 
 
Luke 19:10–11 (ESV): “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” 
 
Yes, Jesus taught and preached, healed and delivered – however, in this poignant prayer we find him praying first for his closest students.
 
Who are your closest? Who has God chosen to give you and have you chosen them too?
 
Father thank you for your kindness and blessing. Thank you for all the people who you place in our lives, from those who we meet in a supermarket line for just a moment all the way to those family members that we share life with for many years. People are a gift, they are your priority and ours too. Thank you Jesus for showing us just how important people are and how much the father loves us.
 
Blessings,
Pastor D