Speaking with the Father

Press the play button to watch the video above or press 'more' to read the transcript of the daily devotion below. Please read John 17 (use your own Bible or use the link above to access the in-App Bible).

‘The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.’ John 17:22-23

Have you ever received a call from someone you haven’t spoken to in a while, and while going through the pleasantries at the beginning of the conversation, wondered what this person wants from you? I know I have. Almost always, the moment comes when the request is made, revealing the reason for the phone call. This means I really remember the rarer phone calls when someone has called just to find out how I’m doing and share their life with me. What a gift this kind of conversation is!

In meditating on the prayer of Jesus in John 17, I am struck by the fact that instead of being a list of requests, this glorious prayer gives us a window into the relationship between Jesus and His Father. It is marked more by relational truths than requests for action. These truths uttered by Jesus reveal that the foundation of Jesus’ prayer life is relationship with His Father, marked by love. It is this relationship which then prompts the few petitions that Jesus does make of His Father.

There is much in this wonderful prayer to meditate on, but one petition seems to be particularly resonant in this present moment: the unity Jesus longs and prays for. This unity is not just for the disciples who were surrounding Jesus during His earthly ministry but includes all who believe in Jesus since that time. As we look around the Church today, it is not difficult to see a lack of this unity that Jesus prayed for. And as we look at the world around us, it is not difficult to see the great need for us to reflect the unity of the Father and the Son so that the world may know the love of God.

In this Lenten season, let us examine our own heart, speech, and conduct, and ask God to reveal where we are contributing toward fracture and division rather than unity grounded in the love of the Father and the Son. May our prayers be founded in relationship with the Father, as those in whom Jesus dwells by His Spirit.

Let us pray: Father, reveal to us by your Spirit how we can worship and work together in unity, reflecting your love to the world around us, as Jesus has prayed for us.

Amy White, Tutor, Emmanuel Theological College