Part 1: “That They All May Be One”
Seeking Jesus First - August 4, 2026
Part 1: “That They All May Be One”
Please Read John 17:20–23 (NKJV)
Reflection
Jesus expanded His prayer beyond the eleven disciples:
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”
Jesus is no longer praying only for those present with Him in the Upper Room. He is praying for every person who will ever believe through their testimony — including us. His central request is unity: “that they all may be one.”
This is not a surface-level agreement or organizational uniformity. Jesus prays for a unity that mirrors the oneness of the Father and the Son. It is a shared life — “I in them, and You in Me.” The same glory the Father gave the Son has been given to believers so that this deep unity can become real.
The purpose of this oneness is clear: “that the world may believe that You sent Me.” The credibility of the gospel before a watching world is tied to the visible unity of those who belong to Jesus. When believers live in the shared life of the Father and the Son, the world is given a living witness that the Father sent the Son and that He loves us with the same love.
Application
Today, consider your relationships with other believers. Is there any division, offense, or isolation that needs to be brought under Jesus’ prayer for oneness?
Renew your mind with this truth: Jesus prayed for you to be one with Him and with His people. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you can walk in greater unity — not by compromising truth, but by living from the shared life of Christ in you. Choose today to honor the prayer of Jesus by pursuing the oneness He requested.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You that Jesus prayed not only for the first disciples but also for us who believe through their word. Thank You that He asked that we all may be one as You and He are one. Forgive us for the divisions and offenses that hinder that unity. Renew our minds today to live from the shared life of Christ in us. Make us one in You so that the world may believe that You sent Jesus and that You love us as You love Him. In Jesus’ name, giving thanks for the living Word of the Lord. Amen.