Jesus Said: “I am not Praying for the World”- Is Jesus Praying for You?

“I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.” Jesus in John 17:9.

by Brian Shilhavy

Western Christianity has a very poor and inaccurate view of Jesus Christ, as compared to the writings of the words of Jesus, and the writings about Jesus, that are recorded in the New Testament portion of the Bible.

When Jesus walked the earth, he demanded total loyalty to himself, as the Son of God and the Son of Man, even over and above our loyalty to family members.

This is a hard truth for almost all Christians today, who don’t want to believe that Jesus could be so direct and forthright, as it goes against Christian teaching.

For example, a passage from Matthew that I have quoted frequently in my articles is this one:

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:34-39)

Most Christians choose to believe that Jesus did not really mean what he said here, as it contradicts so much Christian teaching on the value of our natural, biological families.

This is a comment I recently received from a reader that illustrates this:

The reason I am writing here is because I am literally disturbed by the words of Jesus that you have made reference to many times in your articles:

” Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who do not take his cross and does not follow me is not worthy of me.” Jesus (Matthew 10: 34-38)

Is this a direct, accurate quote from Jesus or is Matthew paraphrasing a bit?

Jesus is all about love…this is a universal belief.

This quote from Matthew makes Jesus sound like some guru who demands total obedience and dedication. I cannot fathom having to make a choice between loving your father and mother or just Jesus. Worse yet, leaving the family behind in the process.

That does not embrace the meaning of love that Jesus spoke of elsewhere.

“Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.”

I can’t help but think that Jesus was being egocentric by invoking the total love sacrifice to him otherwise you are not worthy.

Why can’t we take the middle road and love our neighbor as our self and also love Jesus at the same time without being fanatical about it? Very few people can be disciples and I doubt current or past disciples had love for their fellow man as well as a sincere love for Christ.

When you get a chance (no rush) I’d love to hear your comment on this; a perplexing problem for me. Thank you.

The truth is not comfortable, and it never was meant to be, as the ruler of this current world is the “father of lies” and everything in this world culture reflects the lies of Satan, including Christianity and all religions.

There is NO “middle road” with Jesus, as so many Christians want to believe. The world either loves you, or hates you. If you love and cherish the things of the world, the world will love you back, because it has leverage over you.

If you hate the world, the world will hate you, because it has no leverage over you.

The reader who wrote this above is obviously not well-read in the Scriptures (and he actually admitted this in the full comment), because Matthew was not the only one who wrote this. This truth written by Matthew was common knowledge during the days of Jesus, as almost all of them had left their families to follow Jesus, and other writers of the Gospels wrote very similar statements about what Jesus said on this topic.

You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life. (Luke 21:16-19)

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Mark 13:12-13)

Jesus did NOT come to earth to make the earth a better place to live, which is a common false teaching in Christianity.

Jesus came to declare war against the ruler of this world, and he forced people to choose sides. To choose Jesus and choose to be his disciple, is to choose the “narrow path,” and to choose to live a difficult life of persecution and suffering, the same life he lived.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14)

This is very evident also in John chapter 17, which is the record of Jesus’s last prayer which he prayed while he was still with his disciples, just before he was executed.

In Jesus’s prayer to the Father recorded in this chapter, he made it clear that he was NOT praying for the world, but only those who stood against the world and were suffering because it.

He also did not pray that his disciples would be taken out of the world to relieve their suffering, but that they would be protected from Satan so they could bear testimony to the Truth.

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. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you.

Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me.

None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

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. (John chapter 17)

Jesus himself was rejected by his own biological family, as is recorded in a few places in the New Testament, such as Mark chapter 3.

His family made demands of him, but he refused, and opposed them.

As a result, at least some of them did later believe, including his brother James, who became the leader of the believers living in Jerusalem after Jesus left the earth.

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.

When his family heard about this, they went to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.

A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him,

“Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said,

“Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

(Mark chapter 3)

As I write this today on the first day of March, 2026, chaos rules the world, with war all around us.

Christianity and your Christian beliefs will not save you from the trouble ahead. If you believe it will, you have been sold a false narrative that will lead to your destruction, because that’s the fate of this current world.

Jesus is not praying for this world. He is getting ready to destroy it.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?

You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.

But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. (2 Peter 3:10-13)

You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded:

“If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”

The sight was so terrifying that Moses said,

“I am trembling with fear.”

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the assembly of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.

You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks.

If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?

At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised,

“Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”

The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”(Hebrews 12:18-29)