Quick daily devotions: pray for unity

Quick Daily Devotions: Pray for Unity: Our Bible reading today is taken from a beautiful prayer that Jesus offered shortly before he was arrested and crucified. This is the longest Jesus prayer recorded in the Bible. It also provides some of his deeper teachings on prayer. Reading the Scriptures - John 17: 6-25 "I have given them the glory that you have given me, so that they may be one as we are ”. - John 17:22

Here we can focus on two important truths. First, Jesus prays for his followers. Pray for their protection and unity. He asks that his followers share the unity or uniqueness that Jesus shares with his Father: "that they may be one as we are one". Through the unity of Jesus with the Father, we belong to Jesus and we belong to each other. Like Jesus, we should continually pray for unity with our brothers and sisters.

Second, our unity in Christ is not an end in itself. We are the body of Christ to share his love with one another and with the world. The Holy Spirit uses our unity to draw others to Jesus, and Jesus also unites them to the Father. Our unity in Christ is our most powerful witness.

Unfortunately, however, the incredulous world too often sees us arguing bitterly with one another. As Jesus prayed for our unity, we continue to pray for the unity of the church so that Christ can be glorified in the world through us.

Quick Daily Devotions - Pray for Unity: Prayer Father, thank you for the unity we have through Jesus, your Son. Please, with the power of your Spirit, unify us to be a powerful witness of your love. Amen.