Praying With Jesus: That They May Be One
Praying With Jesus - John 17:20–21
"That They May Be One"
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.“
Have you ever prayed for yourself?
Of course you have.
Have you ever prayed for your family? Your friends? Your church?
Jesus has.
In John 17, on the night before His crucifixion, Jesus prays. He prays for His disciples. But then He does something remarkable. He prays for people who aren’t even there yet.
He prays for those who “will believe.”
That’s you!
Before He went to the cross, Jesus was praying for you. And what does He ask for?
Unity.
“That they may all be one.”
Unity is not uniformity. Jesus is not asking that we all have the same personalities, preferences, or opinions about every minor thing. In fact, God gives a variety of Spiritual gifts for the benefit of the church. Rather, He prays that we would be united in Him. United in faith. United in truth. United in love.
Why?
“So that the world may believe.”
Our unity in Christ is a witness to the world.
Division, bitterness, and constant conflict harm that witness. They distract from Christ. They make the church look like just another fractured group fighting for power.
But when sinners forgiven by Jesus live in repentance, humility, and love toward one another, the world sees something different.
It sees Christ.
This doesn’t mean living out that unity is always easy. It isn’t. We are sinners. We misunderstand one another. We hurt one another. Sometimes we disagree strongly.
Unity is not maintained by pretending those things don’t exist. It is maintained the same way all Christian life is maintained — by repentance and forgiveness, by love, communication, and understanding.
Jesus prayed for our unity before He shed His blood to secure it.
Through His death and resurrection, He has made us one body. We don’t create unity. He does. We simply live in it.
So today, we can join Jesus in praying for our church. For patience with one another. For humility. For truth. For love. That we would be one in Christ, and that our unity would point others to Him. We can also pray for the church throughout the world, that we would be united in true Christian doctrine and support one another in the mission.
Let’s pray…
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for making us one through Your Son. Forgive us for the ways we contribute to division. Help our church to be united in Christ — in truth and in love — so that others may see Jesus in us and believe.
Amen
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
- Your family
- Your local church
- Your pastor
- Some of your fellow church members
- The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
- Your country and her leaders
- Your community
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
The answer to that question probably depends on a few factors.
In the end, Jesus grounds the forgiveness we give others in the gracious forgiveness we have received. Just as God forgives us over and over, so we can forgive others over and over. Just as God forgives us of even the most horrific sins, so we can forgive others of horrific sins. When we struggle to forgive, it’s helpful to remember how much and how often Jesus has forgiven you.
We wait.
Waiting is not easy, but it is for the best.
Sometimes we pray for others while we are with them. Sometimes we pray together in a worship service. Sometimes we pray together before a meal or in family devotions. Sometimes, though, we pray by ourselves, alone…in secret.
This doesn’t mean that we should never pray in public.
If Your Faith Is Just Strong Enough…
These are the words of a father desperate for his demon-possessed son to be made well. He had brought his son to be cleansed of a demon, but Jesus wasn’t there, just nine of the disciples. So, he asked the disciples to help. The disciples tried and failed time after time for hours.
Sometimes, when we pray, we have doubts about whether God can or will help. Maybe we are wondering if anyone can help or if it’s completely hopeless.
Suffering isn’t fun. No one really wants to go through a tough time, but sometimes we need to.
Any parent whose had to give some tough love to their child understands. You’d rather not have your child go through the pain, but you know that if they don’t their life will be much worse. A little pain now…sometimes a lot of pain now…is worth the result of their life being turned around.
I remember my son and daughter’s baptisms. I’ve always loved baptisms because of the promise God gives us that through baptism. He will give us saving faith. It’s a victory over satan! God has brought another person into His kingdom!
Absolutely!
God knows what is best for us and that is what He gives us. Sometimes a million dollars would hurt us in the long run or draw us away from Him. Sometimes we need to stay in at a job we don’t really like so we can minister to someone there or learn patience or maybe it’s not about us but about how it will affect someone else in the future… Who knows? Well…God does. And that’s why He gives the gifts that are truly good.
Are we asking God to help us?
Instead, prayer is more about us being transformed by God to be more like Him. As He acts, we can see that His will is better than ours. His will is good and pleasing. His will is perfect. Not only can we praise God for His goodness, but our minds start to be transformed to think more like Christ, or at least trust that God’s will is truly good, pleasing, and perfect.