Father, May They Be One - Church Prayer Leaders Network

Obeying Jesus’ Prayer for Unity

By Tom White

In India there is an annual Hindu festival, Puja, marked by the worship of ancestral spirits and assorted deities. But in one city in Northeast India, pastors and leaders used this opportunity to pray together and demonstrate their unity and love to their community. As the Puja Committee watched a united, praying church touch their city, they told the pastors, “Puja does our city no good. People get drunk and disorderly. We’ve decided to cancel the annual Puja event and disband our committee.”

Clearly, the unbelieving world saw the transforming power of the Messiah through His followers walking and working together. This is the core of Jesus’ Priestly prayer (John 17)—that His followers would be one.

What could you and I and other Kingdom-minded colleagues do to catalyze a change in the spiritual atmosphere of your city? Today our global mix of cultures, cities, and nation-states is more desperate than ever to witness a socio-spiritual community where people of diverse ethnic, economic, and generational profiles live and work together in some measure of harmony.

At present, religious extremism, ideological polarization, and overt violence are at troubling levels. A prophetic word from Isaiah captures this scenario and offers a challenge to the Body of Christ: “See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light” (Isa. 60:2–3).

Extreme calamities bring opportunities for God’s everyday redeemed people to “rise and shine” and demonstrate Christ’s redemptive presence in their hearts. Worldwide, the Holy Spirit is stirring Jesus’ followers to greater unity, agreement in prayer, and engagement in good deeds—opening doors for the light of the good news.

Jesus’ Highest Command

So, how might we “rise and shine”? Following the upper room meal with His disciples, Jesus poured out His heart to His Father. This John 17 prayer is often quoted yet seldom demonstrated.

But in any local community, saints can choose to take Jesus’ highest command seriously, allowing the Holy Spirit to bond their hearts and lives together with fellow sojourners. Typically, this takes leadership—men and women of conviction and courage—committed to three sustainable cultures: honor, regular prayer with and for one another, and collaboration.

Such leaders heed Paul’s admonition to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). The health and unity of Jesus’ Body in any given place is not an option but a biblical imperative.

Christians from differing traditions will never concur on all doctrinal points. But embracing unity in Christ’s Body involves agreement on the core tenets of historic, biblical Christianity: the miraculous birth and deity of Jesus Christ, the authority of God’s Word, and salvation by faith in the atoning work of Christ. Secondary points of theology and ecclesiology call for tolerance.

Start with Honor

What does a biblical “culture of honor” look like? We empty ourselves of self-interest and invest in the personal and spiritual interest of others. We follow Jesus’ model and bring our self-life to the cross. “In humility value others above yourselves” (Phil. 2:3).

This is easier said than done—dying to personal ambition and recognition, embracing “hiddenness” so that others might shine. But more and more, city after city, this is happening: Berlin, Germany; Oslo, Norway; Manchester, U.K.; Bellingham, WA.

What does this look like? In American culture, this is an Anglo pastor from a suburban white church asking an urban African-American pastor to share his story, unpacking the pain and then building an enduring friendship. This is a “dyed-in-the wool” evangelical stretching to appreciate the fervent prayer life of a Pentecostal brother or sister. This is about a “boomer” Kingdom leader helping an emerging millennial find his place serving Christ’s Kingdom.

As David observed, it is beautiful when brothers and sisters choose to do life together (Ps. 133). When His kids get along, Abba Father is glad, and He commands blessing, favor, and fullness for them. Walls of suspicion, criticism, and judgment come down. Bridges of trust, heart to heart, are built.

Die Daily on Purpose

To experience this takes a supernatural renovation of the heart. The Spirit works, as, soul by soul, we choose daily to relinquish control, content serving in the background. I suspect this is what Paul meant by “I die daily” (1 Cor. 15:31, KJV).

The integrity of our spiritual union with others is purposeful. Who we are and how we relate—our humility, forbearance, patience, sacrificial caring—reflect the character of our triune God, and show a watching world that Jesus is indeed Son of God and Messiah: “one . . . so that the world may believe” (John 17:21). In contrast, unbelievers’ skepticism often stems from the fragmentation of Christ’s Body.

The content and focus of Jesus’ prayer is anchored in His upper room discourse (John 13–16). The Master uses an agricultural analogy in John 15:1–17 to depict progress in bearing spiritual fruit: pruning (allowing “more fruit”), learning to listen and ask in prayer (resulting in “much fruit”), and finally, “fruit that will last”—a lasting spiritual legacy: people coming into the Kingdom, broken lives healed, and believers walking in discipleship. John 15:9–17 includes three components that result in lasting fruit:

taking Jesus seriously by loving our fellow believers, even being willing to die for them
ministering, not in our best efforts but in the power of Christ
seeing our prayers tangibly answered by the Father, who “will give you whatever you ask” in Jesus’ name (16:23).

Clearly, living in unity with fellow Christ followers, abiding daily in Jesus’ presence, listening for His words and will, and partnering with the Father in prayer—all bear lasting Kingdom fruit.

Living in the Real World

This can all sound so abstract, so mystical. Where and how does this happen in the real world?

In 2005 I led a Prayer Summit in Siliguri, a nexus of cultures in Northeast India. From a tall building, you can see Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and the foothills of the Himalaya range. You will find Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, animists, and a smattering of Jesus followers all nearby.

When the Christians of Siliguri decided to “dwell together in unity,” there was an extraordinary manifestation of the Lord’s presence. In the final session, the key leaders asked, “Where do we go from here?”

I shared some typical, practical steps and then urged them to give priority to three things:

Engage in regular intercession for your city and region.
Devote yourselves to fervent love for one another, praying blessing on other congregations and Kingdom organizations.
Keep asking this question, “What must we do together that we cannot do through our own congregations and organizations?”

Immediately, a core of leaders, young and old, began praying every Saturday morning. In time, a consensus emerged as the Holy Spirit urged them to organize an appreciation banquet for the city’s government leaders, mostly Hindus.

Churches and nonprofits dove in, providing such things as food, furniture, and servers. The “three amigos” of this new movement of unity and prayer—Joshua, Enos, and Daniel—spoke at the banquet, voicing appreciation for these officials, and praying blessing on their endeavors. The mayor’s response, “Who are you, and why are you doing this?” gave Joshua an opening to bring a gospel message.

A few years later, on another Saturday morning, a fresh word came from the Holy Spirit: “It’s time to have an open-air meeting and share the gospel.” Initially, city officials were cautious, requiring church leaders to obtain costly permits and security guards. Then officials backed off and allowed the meeting, and tens of thousands participated over three nights.

Scores of West Bengali and Bihari Indians, historically resistant to Christianity, made decisions to follow Jesus. The worship was awesome, the Word of God powerful, and the crowds orderly. Following this event, the city officials asked the three amigos to organize a Christian worship celebration in the central business district—with singing, preaching, and dancing! The city provided stage, sound system, and lights, and they requested this as an annual event.

It’s How God Works

Our sovereign, surprising God used this small expression of John 17 community to expose and weaken a stronghold of religious bondage. And believers chose to obey Jesus’ command to walk in love, to pray weekly, and to follow the direction of the Holy Spirit. Saints in every city have a similar opportunity to be a God-honoring answer to Jesus’ priestly prayer.

What can everyday believers and leaders do to inspire and ignite prayer that increases John 17 unity and “fruit that remains”? First, for individuals:

Ask the Spirit to convict you of any attitude that hinders unity in the Body (criticism, envy, jealousy, theological pride). Confess and receive cleansing.
Identify a “sandpaper person” in your world, a fellow believer who “rubs you wrong” in some way (irritation, annoyance, or anger). Confess your reactive response, and ask the Holy Spirit to increase your love for this person.
Learn the practice of praying blessing on others. Use Numbers 6:24–26 as a pattern of priestly blessing. Memorize and pray some of Paul’s apostolic prayers for fellow saints (e.g., 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17, 3:16; Romans 15:5, 13). Taking initiative to bless others deepens and strengthens relational unity.

For those praying corporately, if your John 17 community is to be sustainable and bring maximum glory to God, a regular rhythm of corporate spiritual disciplines is imperative.1 Establish a regular time for pastors, nonprofits, marketplace leaders, and prayer warriors to pray for your community—intentional, informed intercession (Isa. 62:6–7; Jer. 29:7; 1 Tim. 2:1–8). In these gatherings, pray for leaders of congregations and organizations that do not seem to have interest in unity. Ask the Lord to bless them and prosper their ministries. In addition:

Create an “entry ramp” for personal and corporate praying. Host a half-day “prayer encounter” for local Kingdom leaders. Structure a variety of prayer experiences, such as corporate thanksgiving for God’s goodness, small group sharing and bearing of personal burdens, offering the “prayer chair” to individuals with specific requests, 30 minutes of silence and meditation on Scripture, and corporate praying of Scriptures over your community.
Consider an annual worship gathering for the citywide Body of Christ: mostly worship, no preaching, and a little Jeremiah 29:7 praying. Choose a theme. In my hometown of Corvallis, OR, it’s “Adoration.” In Abilene, TX, it’s “Exalt!” In Washington, D.C., it’s “UNITE.” Gatherings like this put Jesus’ Body on visible display.

Shining in Thick Darkness

Here’s a final observation about Jesus’ priestly prayer. Twice, He asks the Father to “protect” those who choose to follow Him, those who embrace this Kingdom culture of oneness. When saints in any city or region of our world decide to “rise and shine” in the love and light of Messiah, their witness of oneness validates and radiates Jesus to a watching world: “God’s Kingdom works!”

The devil and his hordes dread this and will do all manner of insidious things to contain, diminish, or disrupt it. It is what Paul describes in Ephesians 3:10: “Now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God [which is unity of all believers through the cross] should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms” (bracketed material added).

Contemplate the priority and power of Jesus’ priestly prayer for your community. Keep obeying Jesus’ commands and join in His prayer. Signs of His kingly reign will increase over your city. Your endeavors, blessed by the Father, can bring change to the spiritual atmosphere.

Yes, we see evidence of Isaiah’s word about “thick darkness” that covers our world. But God is bringing together cities of refuge—places of light where His people embrace biblical unity, are “rising and shining,” are partnering in prayer, and are engaging in good deeds that open doors for the good news.

Be encouraged! An authentic move of God’s Spirit is afoot in city after city across the globe.

¹There are additional suggestions for corporate prayer in the appendix of my book, The Practitioner’s Guide: Building City Gospel Movements.

TOM WHITE is founder and president of Frontline Ministries and a recognized innovator and practitioner in city transformation. He is the author of four books and a member of America’s National Prayer Committee. He gives leadership to the Church of the Valley (Corvallis, OR), a movement of John 17 unity, prayer, and Kingdom collaboration.