Let's Pray for Unity like Jesus Did

Imagine the garden

An intimate scene where Jesus pours out his heart to the Father.

Jesus cries out His final thoughts, His final requests.

Everything that must be said happens here.

Of all the things that Jesus prayed, He prayed for our unity. Not just the disciples’ unity, but the unity of all believers in the future- you and me.

One of the last things He prayed to the Father is that you and I would be one.

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. ²¹I pray that they will all be one, just as “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.”
John 17:20-23

So when it comes to us developing unity, why is it that we lean towards program and strategies that we hope will build unity? Have we fallen into the trap of doing things our own way?

Why is it that we are working so hard to convince people into unity?

I’m guilty of this.

Build it so they will come

With good intentions, I have planned and organized yearly Women of the Way sessions so that we will build unity with believers from different churches. Surely, if we develop a great evening, people will engage with the community and oneness will result. If we are determined to focus on Who unites us rather than what divides us, then surely unity will overflow. That was the hope. That was the idea.

However, what I failed to do….really do…..is pray for unity like Jesus did.

Again, we hear from Francis Chan-

This isn’t about talking people into unity. It’s about praying like Jesus prayed. My disbelief came from spending too much time thinking about how to convince people and not enough time praying in faith.
Until Unity, p90

Yes, Women of the Way yearly gatherings have been beautiful and wonderful. So many women coming together from different churches and denominations, it’s a start.

But it’s not enough.

We’ve got to take it deeper.

We’ve got to pray like Jesus prayed.

We’ve got to pray, in faith, that we would be one like Jesus prayed to the Father that we’d all be one.

Only then will our efforts to create events and gatherings be effective.

So, I’m taking this seriously.