Jesus’ Prayer

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. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one… (John 17:20-23a)

For several years I lived within a stone’s throw of my grandparent’s home. It’s where I wanted to spend every moment my mother would allow me to be there. My grandparent’s door was always unlocked, and we could all walk in unannounced. Have you ever caught your grandparents by surprise? More than once I walked into my favorite place and found my grandpa praying, Bible in his lap, eye’s closed, glasses resting on the pages. I can remember the tenor of his voice—it changed a little from his normal rhythm as he would pray. He wasn’t distracted when I would walk in and often, I would realize an important conversation was happening and I would sit down near him, quiet, waiting for him to finish. He would pray for a host of things, his little town, his church, certain people that he knew was suffering, my siblings, and me. I’ll never forget those moments; my grandpa was praying for me. How I love and admire that man.

I was reminded of this moment as I listened to a sermon a friend of mine preached this week as he shared a similar story of his uncle praying for him and his cousins. He related this moment to Jesus’ prayer that we find here. We essentially are interrupting the personal prayer time that Jesus is having, and we get to sit there listening to the sweet cadence of his voice as he’s talking to his Father. The prayer starts at the beginning of chapter seventeen but at verse 20 the prayer shifts a little and he starts praying about those who will come after the eleven of his followers. Who is that? Hey, that’s me and you. We hear Jesus praying for us.

What is his prayer? That we would be one. The unity of Jesus’ followers is the heartbeat, the prayer of our Master. He wants you and I to be one, so much, that he would make it a matter of intentional prayer right before he was arrested. As you sit on the couch next to our praying Savior, realizing he wants something so desperately for us that he would spend time talking to the Father about us, investigate your unity. Are you ONE with your Christian friends? Jesus is praying for us. Let’s do our part to make sure that God answers his prayer.

Prayer for today:

Jesus, as we hear you praying for us, we ask for the anointing of your Holy Spirit to fall on us so through your grace and our effort combines to answer your prayer that our hearts might be unified with our brothers and sisters so we can accomplish your will for the glory of your name. Amen.

Pastor Wes