1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:18,240 Speaker 2: You're listening to everyday prayers with Million Praying Moms helping 3 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 2: you pray God's word for your family in the areas 4 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 2: you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. Here, 5 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 2: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 6 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 2: and best response in parenting, and every day we come 7 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 2: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. 8 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 2: As we journey towards Easter. Together, we are unpacking the 9 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:39,199 Speaker 2: final prayers of Jesus as we break them down. I 10 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,839 Speaker 2: believe these prayers show us the heart of God and 11 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 2: can teach us so much about connecting with the Father. 12 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 2: Today we are looking at how Jesus prays for unity, 13 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 2: and in the world where unity seems so far fetched, 14 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 2: how can we create unity in our lives. To learn 15 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 2: more about the Million Praying Mom's ministry, visit Millionprayingmoms dot com. 16 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 2: You can find a link in our show notes after 17 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 2: our brief word from our sponsors. Will pray together for 18 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 2: our children. John seventeen twenty one. Jesus Praise Father, that 19 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 2: they may all be one just as you Father, or 20 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:22,399 Speaker 2: in me and I in You, that they also may 21 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 2: be in us. So the world may. 22 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 1: Believe that you have sent me. 23 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 2: One of the significant themes in Jesus's prayer in John 24 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 2: seventeen is unity. In verse eleven, Jesus prayed, keep them 25 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 2: in your name, which you have given me, that they 26 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 2: may be one as we are one. Later, in verse 27 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 2: twenty one that we just read, he prayed that they 28 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 2: may all be one, just as you Father, or in 29 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 2: me and I in you, that they may also be 30 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 2: in us. Jesus praise for his followers to be united. 31 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 2: Perhaps he anticipates this will be a problem for us, 32 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 2: so he spends a large portion of the prayer focused 33 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 2: on praying for unity. One of my former pastors always 34 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:10,920 Speaker 2: taught us to look at the sow that statements in scripture, 35 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 2: and this passage has a big so that immediately following 36 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 2: asking the Father for unity, Jesus prays so that the 37 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 2: world may believe you have sent me. He repeats it 38 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:28,239 Speaker 2: again a few verses later, showing us its importance. When 39 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,959 Speaker 2: we look at the church's state today, we see many 40 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 2: arguments and disagreements, and this was never Jesus's design. If 41 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 2: our unity is how people will know Jesus is the 42 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,919 Speaker 2: one true God, how will our disunity prohibit people from 43 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 2: coming to know him. Let's be committed to praying, as 44 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 2: Jesus did for unity among believers. Let's allow him to 45 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 2: bring unity to others through us, and not only in 46 00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 2: the church. But when I think about all of the 47 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 2: disunion in the world, it makes me sad to know. 48 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 2: This was Jesus's greatest prayer for us. It was one 49 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,360 Speaker 2: of the main things he asked the Father for on 50 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 2: our behalf, I can easily feel overwhelmed and like we've 51 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 2: certainly messed up this unity thing. Perhaps he prayed for 52 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 2: unity because he knew it would be the hardest thing 53 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:20,799 Speaker 2: for us to live out. 54 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 1: As a people. 55 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 2: Unity can seem like such a far fetched idea, an 56 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 2: impossible goal, so we often don't pray for it. We 57 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 2: often dismiss it, we don't ask for it. And as 58 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 2: I reread Jesus's words here, I am reminded of the 59 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 2: importance to pray for unity, even when we don't feel it, 60 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 2: and even when it seems impossible. Jesus prays that they 61 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 2: may be one even as we are one. He desires 62 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 2: for us to be united the way that he and 63 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 2: the Father are united in their trinitarian relationship. This is 64 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 2: no small prayer. This is ground breaking and something we 65 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 2: definitely need his help in order to be able to 66 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 2: live out. We must be unified with Christ so that 67 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 2: we can be unified with one another. Maybe unity isn't 68 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 2: happening on a national or international level, but maybe I 69 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 2: can help create unity in my home. Maybe I can 70 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 2: help create unity in my family, or in my neighborhood, 71 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 2: or in my workplace. Another example I think of is 72 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:34,839 Speaker 2: the church, because here Jesus was praying for believers to 73 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 2: be united, for those who follow him to be united. 74 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 2: And an example I think of as my church recently 75 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 2: faced a particularly difficult season and I was serving on 76 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 2: a lay leadership committee at the time, and I took 77 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:52,839 Speaker 2: the words of John seventeen and I just began to 78 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 2: pray them over our specific situation in our body. I 79 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 2: begged God for unity that could only come from Him, 80 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 2: And while the situation was still really bumpy, I did 81 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 2: witness our church unite in a way that was absent before. 82 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 2: Maybe in your home it feels like there's a dividing 83 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:17,599 Speaker 2: line that has been drawn, maybe between two siblings, maybe 84 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 2: between you and your spouse, maybe between you and your parent. 85 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 2: May we boldly ask Jesus for unity in the places 86 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 2: of our lives that are divided, and may we believe 87 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 2: that He can work on our behalf to bring unity 88 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 2: even to the hardest places. Let's pray, Father, help us 89 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:42,599 Speaker 2: to value unity in the way that Jesus did. When 90 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 2: disunity seems to be winning the day, may we be 91 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:48,839 Speaker 2: comforted that nothing is too. 92 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: Hard for you. You are not a god of chaos, 93 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:55,040 Speaker 1: but of peace. Help us to. 94 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 2: Seek unity in our homes, our communities, our churches, our workplace, 95 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 2: and to pray bold prayers of unity for the world 96 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 2: like Jesus did. Mainly, Father, I want to be unified 97 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 2: with you. I want to become more like you, sharing 98 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 2: in your fellowship, which I know I've been invited into 99 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 2: by the gift of your righteousness. I thank you for 100 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 2: this great gift in Jesus's name. Amen. Are you a 101 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,480 Speaker 2: visual learner? Would you like to receive our daily devotions 102 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 2: and written form Write to your inbox then join our 103 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 2: Patreon community of Praying Moms. Not only will you receive 104 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 2: the transcripts of each podcast devotional, you will also receive 105 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:41,479 Speaker 2: a monthly prayer calendar and surprise bonus content. Learn more 106 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 2: about our Praying Mom community in today's show notes or 107 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 2: at million prayingmoms dot com. Till next time, friends, the 108 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 2: Lord bless you and keep you. Make his face shine 109 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 2: upon you, and be gracious to you. May the Lord 110 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 2: look with favor on you and give you peace.