Unity- May They Be One As We Are One
OPENING PRAYER:
Father, we thank You for your gift of Jesus. We desire to learn and grow from Jesus’ teaching. Open the eyes of my heart that I might see You. Amen
“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.” John 17:11 NIV
““My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent me. I have given them the glory that You gave me, that they may be one as We are one— I in them and You in Me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me. “Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me because You loved Me before the creation of the world. “Righteous Father, though the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that You have sent Me. I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”” John 17:20-26 NIV
REFLECT:
Jesus was a person of prayer. Scripture records twenty-five specific times He prayed and ten prayers that give parts of prayers He prayed. His prayer in John 17 is particularly special to all believers. Although the prayer in Matthew 6 is most commonly referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer”, it would better be described as The Model Prayer. This prayer in John 17 is an actual prayer of Jesus. In John 17, Jesus intercedes with the Father on our behalf. He prays specifically for His followers, both those following Him at the time and for all to come. That includes you and me as believers. What is His primary prayer for all His followers? Unity. Unity in Him and in The Father. Unity of the believers in Christ. It is not for health, long life, comfort, peace, financial security or any of the various things that you and I pray for so often. It is for oneness with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and with all that follow Him. Why? “So that the world may believe…”
APPLY:
There is nothing in the world as special as when brothers and sisters in Christ live in unity with Christ and His church. There is nothing more destructive to the gospel message than when these same believers live in disunity. May we pray as Jesus prayed and live as Jesus lived in unity with one another in the body of Christ, His church here on earth. This unity is the evidence to let the world know that Jesus came for them, and that Jesus can and does make a difference in a believer’s life. Pray that God will open your eyes to ways you could promote unity among believers. Ask Him if there is anything in your past words or actions that need to be corrected for unity to flow in and through you. He desires unity and will work through your open heart.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Jesus help me to love my brothers and sisters in Christ the way that the Father loves us all. Make my heart like Yours. In Jesus name, Amen.