This post is part of a 40-day journey following Jesus in his prayer life. We’ll explore virtually every reference in the Gospels to Jesus and prayer. For a more in-depth treatment, see my book Prayers from the Pit.
“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” (John 17:20-21 ESV).
Jesus turns his prayer focus from his immediate disciples to us—to all those who will believe in him through the word of the disciples. Jesus prays for our unity: “that they may all be one.”
Andreas Kostenberger writes that Jesus is praying for us to have a “common mind and common purpose.” Earlier Jesus prayed about our mission. Here, Jesus is praying about our “togetherness in mission.” He prays that we’d pursue our purpose as a unified team.
Jesus’ prayer is about community and cause. Cause: “that the world may believe…” Community: “that they may all be one…” Community is not an end in itself. It is a means to an end—the cause. As we engage in our cause, we do so in community. Jesus prays that we will not pursue our cause as individuals, but as a family.
Yet not only do we purse cause in community, community actually fulfills the cause. When the world sees true community which overcomes what humans cannot—racism, sexism, ageism—the world will conclude that this community is divine—it must come from God. Community fulfills the cause.
Have you experienced the kind of oneness Jesus prays about? Are there other Christians who are as close as family to you? Give thanks to God for them today. Pray that God will help you to be family to them.
Are you an active member of a Christian congregation? If not, determine to become one. Ask God to lead you to a faith community whose cause you can share. If you already belong to one, pray for the unity of that church.
Have you found a cause, a purpose for your life? If so, consider how you might invite others to participate with you in that cause. Pray for God to build a small community around you which can engage in that mission with you.
