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TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:20-21

Read: John 17:20-26
Listen: John 17

TODAY’S MESSAGE

Jesus prays right before he is about to be arrested and crucified. His simple yet profound prayer reveals his deep desire for unity. It’s what he desires for his followers after his departure. Jesus longs for his people to be one as he and the Father are one. Jesus’s prayer reveals that true unity begins with God—who is three in one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And it was and is this unity that Jesus wants his people—the church— to experience and showcase to the world.

Jesus’s passion for unity should be ours as well. To be godly is to reflect Christ’s character. And there is no greater unity than that found in God himself. Therefore, as God’s people, we should hear Jesus’s prayer for believers (which includes us today!) and recognize the vital importance of love for one another and unity among his people. Rather than dividing over trivial matters, we should remember that there is far more that unites us in Christ than could ever divide us. This unity shines a spotlight to a lost and hurting world about the greatness of God.

IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY

Spend time memorizing John 17:20-21. As you work to learn Jesus’s prayer, use these words to pray that you and the believers in your life remain unified in Christ, reflecting the love and oneness found in God himself.

2023 SPIRITUAL PRACTICES

Join us all of 2023 developing a different spiritual practice each month. SPIRITUAL PRACTICES are intentional regular activities to deepen our relationship with God and mold us to be more like Jesus.

December is CELEBRATION. Keep track of our spiritual practices at beyondtheweekend.org/spiritualpractices.

Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.