It is common for the world to refer to the Lord’s prayer that He taught as a model and example of prayer. That model was not Jesus praying to the Father. It was an example of how to pray. However, John 17 is a prayer that He prayed and is, therefore, The Lord’s Prayer. It is a lengthy prayer that can be divided into three distinct parts. He was about to go to the cross and leave the apostles under the care and direction of the Holy Spirit whom the Father would send in His name.
John 17:1-8: First, he reports to the Father about the work he has completed and the result of having glorified Him. His expectation is to return to the Father since he has finished His work and that the Father would glorify Him with the glory He had with the Father before the world began. Everything is in place, the Holy Spirit is about to come as promised and the Apostles are in place to receive His power and to complete their work as Ambassadors of Jesus Christ.
John 17:9-19: Second, He prays for the apostles whom He must leave to carry on His work. He prays that the Father would keep them from Satan as the success of the redemptive plan would now be in their hands. Even though they would not be alone, there was the possibility of Satan overcoming them. He, also, asks that the Father sanctify them by the truth.
John 17:20-26: Last, he prays for the unity of all believers who accept the truth through the work of the apostles. He prays that they see His glory and the Father’s love in Him.
While he desired to enter His glory and return to the Father, having completed His mission, He knew that He would be leaving His apostles behind. He’s made provision for them through the gift of the Holy Spirit, but still has a deep concern for their well-being and the called out during their tenure on earth. I encourage you to pick up a text near your to read it and be impressed with its self-less power.