Jesus prays to God the Father for his followers. He asks that God protects and keeps them safe in the world. Jesus says that he has shown his followers what God is like and that they have believed in him. He prays that his followers will remain united in their faith and love for God and each other.

1. JOHN 17: 1 – 26
New Century Version
A Prayer of Jesus
After Jesus said these things,
He looked toward heaven and
prayed,
FATHER, THE TIME HAS COME.
1. GIVE GLORY TO YOUR SON
so that the Son can give glory to You.
You gave the Son power over all people
so that the Son could give eternal life to all those You gave Him.
And this is eternal life:
that people know You, the only true God, and
that they know Jesus Christ, the One You sent.
Having finished the work You gave Me to do,
I brought You glory on earth.
And now, Father,
give Me glory with You;
give Me the glory I had with You before the world was made.
2. I SHOWED WHAT YOU ARE LIKE TO
those You gave Me from the world.
They belonged to You, and
You gave them to Me, and
they have obeyed Your teaching.
Now they know that everything You gave Me comes from You.
I gave them the teachings You gave Me, and
they accepted them.
They knew that I truly came from You, and
they believed that You sent Me.
I am praying for them. (*)
for those You gave Me,
because they are Yours.
(I am not praying for people in the world but)
All I have is Yours, and
All You have is mine.
And My glory is shown through them.

2. 3. I AM COMING TO YOU;
I will not stay in the world any longer.
But
they are still in the world.
Holy Father, keep them safe
by the power of Your name, the name You gave Me,
so that they will be one, just as You and I are one.
While I was with them,
I kept them safe by the power of Your name, the name You gave Me.
I protected them, and
only one of them, the one worthy of destruction,
was lost
so that the Scripture would come true.
I am coming to You now.
But
I pray these things
while I am still in the world
so that these followers can have all of my joy in them.
4. I HAVE GIVEN THEM YOUR TEACHING.
And
the world has hated them, because they don't belong to the world,
just as I don't belong to the world.
5. I AM NOT ASKING YOU TO TAKE THEM OUT OF THE WORLD
but to keep them safe from the Evil One.
They don't belong to the world,
just as
I don't belong to the world.
6. MAKE THEM READY FOR YOUR SERVICE
through Your truth;
Your teaching is truth.
I have sent them into the world,
just as
You sent Me into the world.
For their sake,
I am making myself ready to serve
so that they can be ready for their service of the truth.

3. 7. I PRAY FOR THESE FOLLOWERS,
but
I am also praying for all those who will believe in Me because of their teaching.
Father, I pray that they can be one.
As You are in Me and
I am in You,
I pray that they can also be one in Us.
Then the world will believe that You sent Me.
I have given these people the glory that You gave Me
so that they can be one,
just as You and I are one.
I will be in them and
You will be in Me
so that they will be completely one.
Then the world will know
that You sent Me and
that You loved them just as much as You loved Me.
8. FATHER,
I want these people that You gave Me
to be with Me where I am.
I want them to see my glory,
which You gave Me
because You loved Me before the world was made.
FATHER,
You are the One who is good.
The world does not know You,
but
I know You, and
these people know You sent Me.
I showed them what You are like, and
I will show them again.
Then
they will have the same love
that You have for Me, and
I will live in them.
WHEN JESUS FINISHED PRAYING,
He went with His followers
across the Kidron Valley.
On the other side
there was a garden, and
Jesus and His followers went into it.