Prayer and Unity

Jesus’ prayer in John 17 speaks to many things, but a resounding theme is the unity of God’s people:

• “protect them by the power of Your name, the name You gave Me, so that they may be one as we are one” (17:11)
• “My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one” (17:15)
• “that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You” (17:21)
• “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” (17:22-23)

Father, please make us one. Fill us with the presence of Jesus. Rather, make us aware of how we are already filled with Jesus’ living presence so that we might find unity in Christ. May Paul’s words resound in our hearts:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)

Please protect us from the evil one, who delights in disunity.

Please sanctify us by the truth, which is Your word (John 17:17). May this be true of us as your people in this world today.