TWL – Red Letter Prayers 6

TWL – Red Letter Prayers 6
John 17:20–26
June 29, 2026
Welcome to Truth Worth Living, where we seek to understand God’s Word so we can live in God’s will.
Today we wrap up our study of the prayers of Jesus, what we have been calling the Red Letter Prayers. We have been studying the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus, prayed in the upper room before His arrest and crucifixion.
Jesus began by praying for Himself. Then He spent the bulk of His prayer praying for His disciples and their future ministry. Today, we see that Jesus ends by praying for us.
He says:
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message…”
— John 17:20, NIV
That means Jesus was praying for every believer who would come to faith through the witness of the apostles. He was praying for the church. He was praying for us.
And what does Jesus pray for?
He prays for our unity.
Not first for our courage.
Not first for our power.
Not first for our influence.
But for our unity.
Jesus says:
“That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.”
— John 17:21, NIV
This unity is not shallow agreement or surface-level friendliness. It is rooted in the unity of the Father and the Son. Jesus prays that the church would reflect the love, harmony, and shared mission found within the fellowship of the Trinity.
Why does this matter?
Because Jesus connects our unity to our witness.
“Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
— John 17:23, NIV
A divided church weakens its witness.
A unified church displays the love of Christ.
The church is not called to sit back and merely survive. Jesus said, “the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18). That means we are not the ones on defense. The church is called to advance the mission of Christ.
And if we are going to be an effective force for the kingdom, we must be united in two ways:
First, love must abound.