Prayer for Unity (Joh 17) — Prayer · jesusTALK

Original Prayer

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said: Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

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, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Context (Old Covenant)

High priestly prayer of Jesus (John 17) before the cross. Already New Covenant, Jesus prays for the church to come.

What it teaches

Unity as testimony; love; shared mission.

Realization in the New Covenant

John 17 is Jesus' high priestly prayer BEFORE the cross. He prays for the unity of all believers. In the New Covenant:

›Unity is not something we must create, it is already reality in Christ (Eph 4:3-6)
›"That they may be one as we are one", That is identity, not organization
›Unity comes not through institutions but through the Spirit (1Cor 12:13)
›Jesus prays to the Father for US, this shows his heart. In the New Covenant we live this unity.
›Unity does not mean conformity but connectedness in Christ

Prayer in the New Covenant

Father, thank you that we are one in Christ, not through structures but through your Spirit. Help us live this unity: in humility, truth, and love. Let our togetherness be a testimony. Amen.