As we continued our series, “One: The Being of God in the Life of the Church,” this past weekend at Eastbrook Church I explored Jesus’ prayer in John 17 as a key to the unity of the church and an example for how prayer contributes to unity. I concluded the message with a time of prayer based on Jesus’ requests in John 17:20-26.
You can view the message video and outline below. You can follow along with the entire series here and the devotional that accompanies the series here. You could always join us for weekend worship in-person or remotely via Eastbrook at Home.
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You.” (John 17:20-21)
A Summary of Jesus’ Prayer in John 17
- Jesus prays for Himself (John 17:1-5)
- Jesus prays for His immediate disciples (John 17:6-19)
- Jesus prays for future disciples (John 17:20-26)
Diving Into Jesus’ Prayer for Unity
- Jesus’ prayer for those who will believe in Him through His disciples’ word (17:20)
- Experiential oneness derived from the divine oneness (17:21)
- This oneness tied to the world believing Jesus was sent by God (17:21)
- Glory given to Jesus now given to the disciples for unity (17:22-23)
- Unity as a reflection of being loved by God (17:23-26)
Jesus’ Prayer and Our Prayers
- Jesus prayed uniquely
- Our prayers can echo Jesus’ prayer
- We will only live unified by prayer
Dig Deeper
This week dig deeper into the theme of prayer and unity in one or more of the following ways:
- Memorize John 17:20-21 this week.
- Take time to pray for unity within the local church every day this week in some way, either on your own or with others. Use John 17:20-26 as a basis for prayer.
- If you want to take a deep dive study into John 17, consider reading The Assurance of Our Salvation (Studies in John 17): Exploring the Depth of Jesus’ Prayer for His Own by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.
- Continue with our season of prayer and fasting. Find more info here.
Renovate 