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This page was last updated on March 22, 2000
************************************************************************************* Introduction to
“Prayer for Unity in Jesus Christ: God’s Love Given Once to the World, Forever to Whosoever Believeth”
To All Christians, Dear Sisters and Brothers,
We send this prayer in order to promote unity in the church at large, which is the body of Christ, regardless of denominations or labels. We want to join with all Christians to place less emphasis on our differences, and put more emphasis on proving to the world that God sent Jesus (John 17:21).
We have great respect for your right to worship God in your congregation or denomination, in the way that you interpret the letter of the law, and we request of you the same respect to us in return. We seek only to find some common ground that we can share together in the scriptures.
We believe we already share with you in the unity of the Spirit, by the same Holy Spirit in all Christians. We want to keep and strengthen the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, while we seek the unity of faith in God’s word in the Bible. To this end we have enclosed a prayer, which we hope may give expression to some of our similarities. We seek to find a prayer that we can pray together with you to ask God now for the perfect unity for which Christ already prayed, believing (John 17:20—23). We believe that this unity is certain to happen, and that like Jesus, we get anything we pray for, believing (Matthew 21:22). And of course in this case, the prayer thus shared becomes a self-fulfilling part of the unity we pray for.
We want to be made perfect in love with one another, abiding together with you and all our brethren, with God, and with Jesus, united in God’s love for all Christians, of all Christian denominations and groups (1 John 4:12-21; John 15:9-12).
We’d like you to correct it as you see necessary, and pass it on to other Christian denominations, groups, or congregations. It is freely in the public domain, and may be copied, printed, or posted in any way, for any Christian purpose. We hope you feel free to add or delete from it in any way that you believe is required by the scriptures, and perhaps use it as a framework for a continuing dialogue with other Christians outside your own denomination or group boundaries. Perhaps such a prayer can become the basis for a sort of living “house of prayer”, which can change, as we all grow closer together in Christ (Luke 19:46).
If God sees fit to bless our efforts, He may allow us to participate in the unity He seeks for us. God has more than enough power to do whatever is necessary to make it happen. The power of the Holy Spirit will show the world who it was that sent Jesus.
We have written our return address (or reply email address) and we would appreciate hearing from you, but we have intentionally left this letter of introduction unsigned so that it can be copied, as is, by others and so that you will know we seek only unity (John 7:18). We love you, our sisters and brothers in Christ, and would be pleased to hear from you any response you might care to make. Thank you, and God bless you in the name of Jesus. In Jesus’ name, God unite us. ***************************************************************************************************
PRAYER FOR UNITY IN JESUS CHRIST: GOD’S LOVE GIVEN ONCE TO THE WORLD, FOREVER TO WHOSEVER BELIEVETH
Heavenly Father, we unite here in prayer together with all our sisters and brothers in Christ, of all Christian churches, of all Christian denominations and groups, who will join with us in prayer because the Spirit of Jesus Christ is in us all, and the Bible says, “…Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9). Together, Father, in your love for all your children in Christ, we lay these words upon the altar before the throne of God, which is in the hearts of all of us who know Jesus to be there.
Father, we enter into your “…gates with thanksgiving…” and into your “…courts with praise…” (Psalms 100:4); we are so thankful to you and bless your name. We pray to you who are the great, one, good God and Master of the universe and beyond, Giver of all good things, by whom was created the heavens and the earth, and all that in them is; beyond the laws of nature, beyond the understanding of the rules of man’s science that seem to relate things physical, one to another; beyond time itself, who always was, is now, and forever shall be the one Truth, Word, Way, Light and Life for the world.
The one Life, which is more than the body; which begins in Christ Jesus and continues through this life and into the next. The one life in which we fear no future and bear no burden of the past.
The one Light, which is given to man in Jesus alone, “to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79), “for it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23).
The one Way, which is right and the end of which is life without end, because for each of us there is some way, not it Jesus, that seems right to the fleshly mind, and “the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 16:25).
The one Word, which was with God in the beginning, and the Word which was God, in whom the three are one: God in heaven and God who walked the earth among men bringing the words of God with Him. Whose Spirit is with us still; who enters a willing heart in the name of Jesus, in the Father’s love for all His children, and seeks to show that person the loving Father’s gentle hand of guidance, correction, and blessings in love to His children, through His word in the Bible and in every day of each Christian’s life.
The one Truth who is all truth, though as we look about us in this world there appear to be many things true. But we know that all truth, both physical and spiritual, has but one source. All truth comes from you, Lord. Any knowledge of the truth, which we mere mortals may possess, is a gift. And we do thank you, Father, for the greatest gift of knowledge, which is the sure and certain knowledge of Jesus, the one Truth over the many.
In the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, our spirits unite in prayer to praise you, God, for Jesus is one with the one Spirit of God and with the one God of all power of whom the Bible says, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (1 John 5:7). When we say the name of Jesus, we speak the name of the glorious Son of God who is our only Christ and Savior. Heavenly Father, we seek by uniting in the name of Jesus, to do your will to declare to the world what is, as we understand it, everything in the name of Jesus (Note: the person, the cause, everything which the name covers, everything the thought or feeling of which is aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing, remembering, knowing His rank, authority, interests, pleasure, command, excellences, unequaled gifts, and marvelous, miraculous deeds for the world to see. Refer to “name”, #3686, Strong’s Concordance).
In Jesus, we mean to speak the name of God’s precious, perfect, chosen vessel for sending the full measure of His love to the world, so that instead of perishing, any who choose to believe in Him, have eternal life as children of God forever, for the Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). We are complete, Father, in worshipping the one Spirit of God in your Son, Jesus, for the Bible says, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Col 2:9).
We believe together and pray together in the name of Jesus, who said, “…The Lord our God is one Lord” (Mark 12:29) and who said, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30); who said, “…All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18); and who said “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).
Father, our spirits come together in our hearts in the spirit and truth of your love for all Christians, of all Christian denominations and groups, giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray, Father, “…Hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9), for Jesus showed us your hallowed name in Himself, in your love for all your children, and Jesus said, “…I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:26) and again, “…he that hath seen me hath seen the Father…” (John 14:9). We unite to hallow, and to pray in, the glorious name of Jesus, whose name is the only name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved; whose name is above every name that is named, not only in this world but that which is to come; Jesus, whose name is exalted by God in order that every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; whose name, Jesus, was at one time the name of one man in whose flesh dweleth the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is now the name in the flesh of all of us, the body of Christ. As one together in Jesus, we open our hearts and receive your Spirit in us, and we know the Bible says “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God” (1 John 4:2).
Each of us confesses before men and in prayer to you, Father, that Jesus is the Christ come in the flesh, the Son of God who died for our sins, was then resurrected, and who gives of his Spirit to live in each of us, for the Bible says “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God” (1 John 4:15), and again “hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit” (1 John 4:13). We hear and believe each other’s confession of Jesus, and with love in Him we accept each other as sisters and brothers, for the Bible says, “We are of God; he that knoweth God heareth us…” (1 John 4:6), and again “…God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16), and again the Bible says, “…that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost” (1 Corinthians 12:3). Together we confess, “…Jesus Christ is come in the flesh…” (1 John 4:2) because we have accepted the Spirit of Jesus in all of us, in each of ourselves, and in all other members of the body of Christ. In Jesus our flesh is made dead to past sin, and alive with the Spirit in righteousness.
While there is life in our physical bodies and our flesh still breathes the air of this world, yet we are not of this world, for we give over our whole hearts to be filled by the love of Jesus for all His brethren, in every Christian denomination and group. In the name of Jesus we repent of all fleshly sins and unrighteousness, including the failure to love all our Christian sisters and brothers more than ourselves. Together in the love of Jesus for all of us in Christ, we are “…not carnal…” anymore, nor do we “…walk as men…” (1 Corinthians 3:3), for each of us has crucified the old, carnal man who once we were; and with that corrupting corpse, put to rest the old envying, strife, and divisions among ourselves. We, in the body of Christ, now live to serve the Holy Spirit which by grace is in us, and we already have part in the life eternal together for we all know in our hearts Jesus, Son of the living God, the Son who was given power over all flesh and became firstborn among many brethren to eternal life, for He prayed “As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent” (John 17:2-3).
Though our bodies are in this world, our spirits unite to reside together in the eternal flesh of the body of Christ. His flesh is to do the will of God, which we help to accomplish when we obey His new commandment and seek with our brothers to unite in love in the body that bears His name. When we do God’s will we are in the flesh of Jesus, and the flesh of Jesus is in us when we take God’s will into our hearts and make it our own, for Jesus said, “For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed” (John 6:55) and He said, “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34) and again Jesus said, “…This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent” (John 6:29).
We seek to do our part in your work in us, Father, uniting in our belief on Jesus, for He speaks to us in the Bible and His words convince us. We believe that Jesus is the Word who was made flesh and who lives in the words of the Bible through the testimony of the apostles and the foreknowledge of the prophets. The Holy Spirit gave them the words to write, and when we read the Bible with understanding, we hear the Spirit of God speak the truth in our hearts. We hear Jesus speak the truth in the word, and the truth makes us free.
While our souls remain bound in this flesh of our bodies, which is the flesh that returns to dust, our spirits are already released through the words of the Bible to know the life eternal together in Jesus, in the body of Christ. Our spirits all hold fast in our hearts to His words by which He speaks His will, and His words are the spirit and life of our souls, for Jesus said, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).
We gladly give up the former carnal life, so poor in spirit, which we had in this world before we knew Jesus and His words, and trade it for the life of joy together in His kingdom, which we now have and keep forever for He said, “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal” (John 12:25), and He said “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
We cast off the old life and our spirits now work together to serve Jesus, and to follow Him in the spirit and the word to all the places where He is now and forever, for He said “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be” (John 12:26). We want to serve Jesus, and follow Him to be where He is now and where He’s always been from the foundation of the world, Father: namely, in your love for your children, for Jesus prayed, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24).
In order to serve Jesus, and see His glory, we work together to be where He is, and we know where to find Him, for we find Jesus abiding in the hearts of all our brethren, abiding there with God’s word, and with God’s love for all His children (for God is love), and because the Bible says, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16), and again, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us…” (1 John 4:10).
We follow Jesus who we know is in our own hearts, and it gives each of us great joy in his presence there. And we know Jesus is also in the hearts of all our brethren, of every Christian denomination and group. So we follow Jesus into the hearts of all our brothers for the full joy of abiding there in the His presence, everywhere He is, in the hearts of every Christian, for Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11), and the Bible says, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalms 16:11). In order to abide in the love in which Jesus died for His own brethren, we obey Him in all things, including His commandment to love our brethren by laying down our own lives for them, for Jesus said “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love,” (John 15:10), and again, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12). Jesus is one with you, Father, and you are truly both “…Our Father which art in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9) and also our Father which is in the hearts of all those who keep the words of Jesus, for He said “…If a man love me he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23).
When we seek to serve and follow Jesus into another man’s heart, to abide with Jesus there with His word and in His love for all His brethren, we come to that man in the spirit bearing only the gifts of the Holy Spirit, for we ask our brother to open the door of his heart to allow entrance only to God’s words, in accordance with the Bible, which words are the spirit and life in us all. We seek to find and share all those of God’s words which we may be given to hold in a common understanding, and be always, as the Bible says, “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3), while we expect the unity of the faith; “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ…”(Ephesians 4:13).
We unite in Jesus, for He is the Spirit of the only king in our hearts who commands our lives, and the words He speaks through the Bible are the only truth our hearts know to be certain, for He said “…Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:37). Father, we read your word, we listen for your voice to give us understanding of the Bible by the Spirit of Truth in our hearts, and we want your words to be our law and to rule our lives, Lord, for we have tried before living by our own words, and we have seen only defeat. When, in the past, we tried to live by the words of men, we found ourselves, time and time again in the ditch, blind and led by the blind. By your mercy our eyes are now opened, and we see clearly the truth of the Bible, where it is written “The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations” (Psalms 33:10-11). We recognize the Bible as your words, God, given to man by the Holy Spirit. We see the Bible as the only final authority on this earth for your will, for the thoughts of God’s heart.
We don’t let our lives be guided by words that aren’t in accordance with the Bible, Father. We don’t want the words of men to live by anymore. We see that our own words are a heavy burden and that your words are no burden at all, for the Bible says “…for every man’s word shall be his burden…” (Jeremiah 23:36), and Jesus said “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30). Give us your words, Lord, the words of the Bible to understand, to live by, and to speak to each other, for all wisdom is yours alone and Jesus said “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:37) and again He said “But wisdom is justified of her children” (Matthew 11:19).
We are your children, Father, and we know each other by the wisdom of the words of the Bible which your Holy Spirit in the heart of each of us gives us to speak with understanding to one another. We follow the example of Jesus, and judge no man’s heart, but rather give your words to all so that each may choose for himself the Bible, to be either his salvation or his judge, for Jesus said “And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judge him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:47-48).
Though we judge no man’s heart, Father, yet we know your children, our brethren. We see a man’s works, and hear a man’s words, and we read your words, Lord, which you speak by the Bible as we compare things spiritual to things spiritual. We look only to see if what a man does and says is of Jesus, or not of Jesus, for He said “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit” (Matthew 12:33), and again Jesus said, “…by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20).
We do know them, Lord. In the first place, if men don’t speak your words, then they speak either Satan’s words or their own. We hear the words of men and we see their deeds and we know that these are the fruit of the spirit that is in them, and we look for evidence of your word, which is the seed of your Spirit in them, for the Bible says, ”But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit…” (Matthew 13:23). We don’t guide our lives by what men say, either of Satan’s will or of their own will. We only have ears to hear and learn from men who speak your words, words in accordance with the Bible, to gather us together in Jesus. We always start with the agreement that the Bible is your word, Lord. And while we seek together a common understanding, if a man does your will by trying to gather us together in the word, the name, and the redeeming blood of Jesus, we don’t dare deny that he has your Holy Spirit within him for you said “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men” (Matthew 12:30-31).
If a man will unite with us and, in repentance of any obvious sin of the flesh, confess Jesus Christ of Nazareth to be alive in his heart, then we begin as one with him in recognition of the name of Jesus, in recognition of the love of The Father for all His children. We hear his confession of Jesus, and we accept him as our brother for that confession is born of the same seed of the word as is first in us all. We make every concerted effort, in the spirit of love and with all longsuffering and patience, to seek out, together with all our sisters and brothers in Christ, of all Christian denominations and groups, what is the will of God for us all as declared in the Bible. We also begin with the understanding that it is God’s will for all of us to use our various gifts to serve each other in the pursuit of one faith, as the Bible says “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:12-16).
With purified hearts, all of us born again by God’s eternal words in the Bible, purified and born again in un-pretended, fervent love of the brethren in all Christian denominations and groups, we give to all our sisters and brothers the fruit of the Spirit whom we obey in our own hearts; the fruit which has been born of the seed of the word in us, and we look to see what manner of fruit they may offer to us in return, for the Bible says, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…” (Galatians 5:22-23), and again “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Peter 1:22-23).
All these are the fruit of the Spirit which we offer, Father, according to your plan: fruit for the enjoyment and positive identification of other Christians, and fruit to draw in all men to Jesus, for Jesus said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” (Matthew 7:16). We know, Father, that this fruit of the Spirit can grow for all men to see your love only if we remain in the vine, Jesus, who is the embodiment of your love for all your children, of all Christian denominations and groups. We know we can do nothing without Him, Father.
We now know, Father, how the fruit of the Spirit is part of your plan, not ours, and that from now on, Jesus calls us friends, because Jesus said, “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you” (Matthew 15:15-16). We pray, Father, that you bless us, as the friends of Jesus, with whatever we ask in the name of Jesus, because we now show that we know your plan by our doing these things, whatsoever Jesus commands us, including that we love one another, all members in the whole body of Christ, for Jesus said, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (Matthew 15:14), and again, “These things I command you, that ye love one another” (Matthew 15:17). We unite in the love of our friend, Jesus, in His love for all His friends in His name, and call all men our friends and brethren who do righteousness and confess Him. With them, we gather together in the pursuit of the understanding of the Bible because Jesus said, “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:21). With nothing to hide, we come together to the light of Jesus so that all men can see the truth in righteousness and love by the things we do. We join together without fear that we might lose what little power we could have apart from each other, for what power does a hand have, while the body lies broken and in pieces? Or where can the feet run to until the whole body first pulls itself together by the Holy Spirit in every member and stands upright, lifting up the head, to walk by the vision of Jesus, who is the head of us all?
We unite knowing that no man can use our unity against us, Lord, for when the lying prophets of old sought to make your people forget your name, you spoke by the true prophet and said “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?…” (Jeremiah 23:24), and again “…Do not I fill heaven and earth?” (Jeremiah 23:24), and you said “Is not my word like as a fire?…” (Jeremiah 23:29), and again “…like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29). We know, God, that vengeance is yours to destroy lying prophets and we choose to hold instead to the rock that will never be broken. We are united in our belief on the power of Jesus, and on the full power of the Holy Spirit to defend Himself and the word.
Though our brother may differ with us in some understanding of the word, Father, if he will confess that Jesus is in his heart, we won’t deny him and we won’t question his motives, for we know that your Holy Spirit is not ours to give, and you wont let anyone tell lies against it; you will not let it be blasphemed either by us or by someone else’s children. We look for the certain destruction in this life of all liars against the Holy Spirit and we know this is the sin which is punished both now and later, for Jesus said, “…whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come” (Matthew 12:32).
We know also, Father, that to the whole body of Christ you have given full authority to cut off a hand if necessary, or to pluck out any extra eye, if it will keep the whole body from being dragged down to hell. But no one among us makes this decision alone or lightly, Lord, for Jesus said, “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones…” (Matthew 18:10); and He said “Even so it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:14); and He said “Woe unto you lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered” (Luke 11:52); and again Jesus said “Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!” (Matthew 18:7).
We love both Jesus, and each other in Jesus, so instead of giving offense to our brother who, like us, makes the claim that the Spirit of Jesus Christ is in his heart, in love we forgive what may be his ignorance and give to him our understanding of the word as a gift for him to share with us, for the Bible says “…in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men” (1 Corinthians 14:20), and again “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:29-32).
For Christ’s sake, we will never let His little ones, because of ignorance, be afraid to confess Him, for Jesus said “…Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:16). We do suffer the little ones to come to Jesus, whether the little one is a man or a Christian denomination who is yet a “little one” in the word. Though we may think that they are childish and weak in their understanding of the word, we allow all the little ones to claim God’s Spirit in their hearts, and we expect your Spirit, Lord, through the word to then give them all they need to know, just as you do for all of us.
There is no one saved among us who ever knew the truth of God in advance, before he allowed Jesus to enter his heart and give him understanding. No man among us was given to guide his own footsteps, to be led by his own knowledge, to the point in his life where he lays claim in his heart to Jesus. If any man has come to a position in his life where he confesses Jesus to be in his heart, it can only be because the Father has delivered him to that place and to Jesus, for He said “I thank thee, 0 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him” (Matthew 11:25-27).
Dear heavenly Father, we would never hinder any man who has been delivered by you to confess Jesus. Indeed, we thank you, Lord, that all of us have been delivered from the former life to confess before men that Jesus is in our hearts and we know that when we claim Jesus, He claims us back for He said “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).
Anyone Jesus claims, we would never disallow. When Jesus claims one who appears in our eyes to be a child in the spirit, as yet immature in understanding of the word, nevertheless because he has confessed Jesus, we know he belongs to Jesus, and we receive him as our brother. In love we receive him as we would receive Jesus, for He said “And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me” (Matthew 18:5).
If, Father, you have given us by your great grace to know and understand some truth in the word which our brother has not yet found, then in this thing he is our younger brother in the spirit, and though younger, always cherished. And if we are truly the elder in any thing then we know also the word concerning who shall be greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and we make ourselves small so that he will listen, because no younger brother wants to hear words of correction from any elder, save by the voice of his own sweet Father. We don’t judge or reprimand an elder brother, as if you, dear Father, don’t know how or you aren’t watching. Instead, we go to him as a servant, and as the younger brother, in humility bearing gifts of the words of the Father, taking all care not to offend him by our own words, for Jesus said “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:11-12), and again, you said “…but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve” (Luke 22:26).
Father, we make ourselves small among our brethren, so that our brother will listen to us, and so that we also may be given to learn. For if our brother has a voice to speak your words, the words of the Bible, to us for our own hearing, then we listen and search the scripture for things in which we may be the younger. We all make of ourselves little children to one another, innocent of malice, so that we all may be instructed by the word and by your Spirit of Truth which speaks the understanding of your word in the heart of each of us, for you said “…Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4). We become as little children to each other, in order to follow Jesus in His love, into the hearts of all our brothers and to serve Jesus there as our king by serving all in the word.
Knowing in our hearts that your words are truth, Father, we are given to declare with certainty “Thy kingdom come…” (Matthew 6:10). We know your kingdom is come because we look inside ourselves and see a part of you there in our hearts: the Holy Spirit which you have given us by the seed of your word. We see your love for us in our loving King Jesus, who serves us as King by having given His life for every one of us in His kingdom. And we see our love for you in our self-sacrificial love for all our brethren, our fellow—citizens whom we serve in your kingdom, Lord, because the Bible says, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10), and again, “O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight” (Psalms 16:2-3).
We know we can’t pay you back, Father, for the smallest part of the goodness you’ve given us, in your Son alone, much less all your good gifts. Our own, earned goodness won’t ever reach to you. And we know that our literal death won’t save any soul by our own goodness. But we can obey you, Lord, in the one commandment Jesus called “my commandment” and “a new commandment”. In the spirit of unity in your love for all your children, Father, we find loving ways to lay down our own lives for our Christian brothers in all other Christian denominations and groups, because Jesus died for us, and the Bible says, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). In these ways of self-sacrifice for all our brethren in Christ, of all Christian denominations and groups, we show each other and the world that we are in your kingdom and that all have heard and perform the King’s new commandment, for you said “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34-35).
Made perfect in one by our love for all our sisters and brothers in the eternal life of Jesus, who is your eternal love for all your children, Father, we show the world that we are the disciples of the living Son of the one true God, for Jesus said, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:21); and again, Jesus said, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).
Heavenly Father, we are made the virgin-perfect bride for your Son, made perfect because we have your love for all your children, so that the world may know that you are the one true God who sent Jesus, and that we may be bold in the day of judgment like Jesus, because Jesus said, “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me” (John 17:23); and the Bible says, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:11-12), and again, “ Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17).
You love us, Father, with a love that makes us one with you in our hearts by your sacrifice of Jesus for us; so we love each other with a love that makes us one in our hearts among ourselves, by our self-sacrifice for all our Christian brethren, in honor to Jesus, our one king who loves us like a friend, and Jesus said, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:12-14).
We hear, with ears to hear, the commands of our friend, King Jesus. One throne stands in our hearts, Father, elevated above all, where you and Jesus and the Holy Spirit, can sit as the one Spirit of God, in which the three are one, and remain with us to show us the understanding of your commandments and teach us all things concerning your word. In obedience to your commandments which you speak in our hearts, including the new commandment of Jesus, we come together as one people to give all praise, honor, and obedience forever, to you and to your words for Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (John 14:15-17); and Jesus, said “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever, I have said unto you” (John 14:26); and again, Jesus said “…The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, Lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21).
Your kingdom is within us, Father, for in our hearts we keep your commandments. First in importance, we love God with all our heart, mind, strength, and soul. Second, we love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves, loving any neighbor in need, and even loving our enemies who are yet in the world. We know, Father, that our neighbor may not be our brother, but may be a heathen “Samaritan”, and not a child of God. Yet, by your second commandment, we love all neighbors, even sinners and enemies, as ourselves. These two commandments are the old treasure of our hearts, the treasure that was given to those who were God’s children long ago, and which we will now keep forever, for Jesus said, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:40). And the new treasure of our hearts is the new commandment of Jesus wherein we are made one in His name, for we love each other, all of us who claim Jesus, and seek to come together in our hearts in the love of God for all His children.
Your first most important law, Father, is to love God totally; and your second law is to love our neighbors as each of us loves himself. And the new commandment of Jesus is not third, but fulfills the old law as part of the first one, because Jesus told us to love our brother more than ourselves, not the same as ourselves, but enough to give our lives for each other, the way Jesus loved us, for the Bible says “…That he who loveth God love his brother also” (1 John 4:21), and again, “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 John 4:20), and again “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another…” (Romans 12:10), and again, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).
When we seek to love you, Father, you tell us that we can only serve you by serving your Son, Jesus, eldest and firstborn among many brethren to eternal life. And when we seek to love your Son, Jesus, He tells us that we can only serve Him by serving all our sisters and brothers in Him. Our love for our own brethren comes before our love for those of some other household, though we also do love any other neighbor in need as each of us loves his or her own self.
We know, Father, that judgment begins with us Christians, here in your household, for the Bible says, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God… “(1 Peter 4:17). And because we know your love for all your children, we know that the whole proceedings on judgment day will center on how all men treated God's children, the brethren of Christ, even the least of us, and the Bible says, “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). And if judgment begins at the house of God, we know what you will do, Father, about us Christians mistreating any of our siblings in your family, our fellowservants in your household, even those we consider the least Christians of all, for the Bible says, “But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:48-51).
We Christians are the children of your household, Father, innocent of malice for brethren of any Christian denomination or group. By making us one in love together with our brothers in your love for all your children, you make us the children of the promise who are counted for the seed of the new Israel, and you prepare us to inhabit the new holy city that comes “…down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). In this new commandment of Jesus, that we should love all our brothers, you fulfill in us your covenant to Abraham concerning the seed of Isaac and Jacob, which you spoke of by the prophet saying “For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour…” (Isaiah 43:3), and you said “…bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him” (Isaiah 43:6-7).
We, the people of your kingdom, Father, who are formed by you to unite and claim Jesus as the one king in the hearts of us all, pray now together, “…Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). We know that it is your will, Father, that we on earth be gathered together with each other and eventually with the angels in heaven, to be as one together in Jesus. By the gift of the blood of your Son, Jesus, we are redeemed; and by your continuing grace, Father, you have given us to see your will, in wisdom and without mystery, for the Bible says “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the richness of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known to us his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him” (Ephesians 1:7-10).
We see the wisdom of doing your will, Lord, and we let your will be done on earth in us to make us one in Jesus, for you spoke by the prophet saying “…let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it” (Isaiah 45:8). In having the wisdom to do your will, Lord, we see ourselves as broken shards of the same vessel which you now restore to wholeness. We may contend the understanding of the word among ourselves, as one shard to another, but we will never question the will of you, Father, to make us one together in Jesus, for you spoke through the Holy Spirit by the prophet saying “Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth? Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me” (Isaiah 45:9-11). We ask, Father, and you go on to tell us by the prophet that the whole purpose of creation is that all men who seek to be your children must assemble themselves and come together to Jesus, for the prophet writes “…God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:18). Again you said “Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations…” (Isaiah 45:20), and again you said “…That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come…” (Isaiah 45:23).
We now come together, to the righteousness and strength of Jesus, and we pray, Father, that you would bring the multitude of Christian denominations and groups together in your love for all your children, in our love for all our siblings. We look at all the divisions we have made among ourselves, between brethren, Lord, and we wonder how we ever became so scattered?
We read in the Bible where you answer us to say that it first began when Jesus let Himself be crucified, for He said “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep” (John 10:11-12).
Then just prior to His crucifixion Jesus said, “…All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered abroad” (Matthew 26:31), and again “Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:32-33). And also, the Bible says “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful” (Colossians 3:15).
We understand, Father, that the scattering of us who are your flock and your children, first began after Jesus was crucified, when the true shepherd who owns the flock was nowhere to be seen, and others in charge, somehow, sometime, let the wolf come in and scatter us. We don’t ask exactly when, or which hirelings to blame for running off, Lord. We don’t know and we don’t care, for the petty strife it would cause. Now we just give thanks that we are called in one body to the peace that only Jesus, the one shepherd and door, can give us. Since we have already begun and now continue to work together to unite in Jesus, we ask when will our unity be made complete?
Only you know the day and the hour, Father, but in answer seen now only in part, the Holy Spirit gave the prophet Daniel to tell us of the wonders of the last days, how that a king of wickedness will come “…and magnify himself above every god…” (Daniel 11:36), and some of us of understanding will fall to be tried, and purged, and made white. And although a time of great trouble and tribulation comes, nevertheless, at least in the end if not before, we will all certainly be delivered, “…every one that shall be written in the book…” (Daniel 12:1). We read, that at the finish of these days, you will unite us completely, that the scattering of our power will certainly be ended and accomplished in full unity, for the Bible says, “…and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished” (Daniel 12:7).
We are your holy people, Father, made holy together only in Holy Jesus, and we know that your power in us will be made completely full at the end of the tribulation when we have been made into the whole and perfect body of Christ. We shall be like Him, perfected as one together in God’s love for all His children, because the Bible says, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John: 16-17). We have already begun to unite in Jesus, together with all our sisters and brothers in all Christian denominations and groups. And we know, Father, you now give us all the power we need to do your will in making peace among ourselves to become one in Jesus, for the Bible says “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12), and Jesus told us, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9), and again the Bible says “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (1 John 3:10-11).
Father, we know of the former power in the Holy Spirit that your children had together in Jesus, beginning with the first Pentecost after His resurrection. We have read of the great power to do mighty works that was given by Jesus and by the Holy Spirit to the apostles, and also, through the apostles, power in the Spirit to some of the first disciples. Before we began to unite with all our brothers, we used to wonder why, Lord, you made the power of the Holy Spirit in us to become so weak by comparison. We had read of those earliest Christians who were united by either having seen Jesus, or by the apostle’s first—hand testimony of His words and demonstration of the power of your Spirit. When we had read of these things, we wondered why, after those earliest Christians were gone and before we had begun to work together for unity, your miracles through us seemed, then, to be relatively few and far between.
We had a form of faith then, Lord, but our faith in the body of Christ had not yet been made fully alive by the works of making a wholehearted effort to become one in love with all our brethren together in His one Spirit and body, for the Bible says “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26).
Each isolated Christian group or denomination among us was like a servant who had done only a part of the things that were commanded him, not obeying the new commandment of Jesus, and yet foolishly looked for a reward before he had done everything possible to serve his master, for Jesus said “…If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do” (Luke 17:6-10).
Dear, Merciful, Longsuffering Father in Heaven, whose grace extends forever, and from earth to the highest heavens, we humbly ask you to forgive us all for all our prideful, carnal sins against Christian unity. We have only now come late to the elevated status of being even unprofitable servants to you, Father, having failed you in your new commandment for so many years gone by. We now belatedly recognize that unity in Jesus is your will and new commandment, Lord: no more than a fundamental part of our minimum duty, long shirked; a matter of the milk of the first principles we have long needed to be taught again. For the marriage feast of Jesus, we’re just now getting around to setting the table. We know we don’t deserve any thanks, and we now patiently, gratefully, fervently serve Jesus and wait on His table, making sure to set before Jesus all things pleasing in His sight. It is our greatest desire now to see that Jesus is filled, satisfied, and well pleased in the meat we now set before Him to eat, and Jesus said, again, “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34). We simply now do our part to finish your work in us for the Son, Father; to finish and perfect His bride-to-be with love in her heart for Jesus as for all your children. Now we wait at the ready, in work clothes, with our work lamps filled with the shared oil of the Spirit, shared together before it’s too late, and looking and longing for the bridegroom’s return, for Jesus said, “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them” (Luke 12:35-37).
Woefully and ashamedly undeserving of any merit for our past prodigal service to you, Dear Father, we now seek with our whole hearts to find ways to unite in your love for all your children, of all Christian denominations and groups. With self-sacrificial gifts of mutual forgiveness in our hearts for each other, we forgive all our prodigal brothers as ourselves, in this, our reunion in Jesus, the eldest and firstborn, and in the fullness of our family’s joy in your presence, Father. Together as family again, we now have the kind of hearing of your word that means understanding and which produces faith, for the Bible says, “…faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Our faith is living because it is now made alive by the works of love that we do according to your will to seek unity together, Father, in your love for all your children in your household. And if the works that we do are only small works to make ourselves one in Jesus, then we beseech your unbounded lovingkindness, Father, to let it be enough to allow each of us to say to each other, as the Bible says, “…I will shew thee my faith by my works” (James 2:18); and the miniscule works we do for unity need only to make alive in us faith as a grain of mustard seed, so that together, in love, we can move mountains in the name of Jesus.
As we take each step, Father, to draw nearer together to Jesus and to each other in the spirit and life which are your words, we look for you to work your power through us more and more, until the falling away first comes, and you then deliver whatever part may then be the remainder of us, from the tribulation into the power of full unity in you; but not because we will ever deserve either your power or your deliverance, Father. By seeking with our brethren the unity in your love for us, we are still only unprofitable servants, merely doing our duty. Father, we know that we could no more deserve the power of your Holy Spirit, than we could ever begin to deserve the blood of your glorious, beloved Son, which is the greatest gift of all, and which you gave for all of us in the first place while were yet sinners. We remain undeserving of your grace, and always will be.
But we are the people who do know you, our one God. We know, Father, that of all fathers you are the most loving, and of all you are the most powerful for the Bible says “…God is love…” (1 John 4:16), and again “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God” (Psalms 62:11). We know, Father, that you dote on your children and lavish on us all manner of gifts which we can never begin to earn, for you spoke by the prophet saying “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 9:24), and again the Bible says “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17), and again the Bible says “2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).
We know your unbounded power and love, Lord, and when we see you now work miracles through us, they aren’t wonders to us, because we don’t wonder where the power comes from: we know it is yours, never ours. And the miracles you work through us are not signs to us, but signs to those who don’t yet know you, because we are blessed to know, without signs, that you have all power, and a love for us beyond measure, and the Bible says “blessed are they which have not seen, and yet have believed”.
We pray to you Father, as your obedient children who obey you by working to make ourselves one in your love for all your children, and who know you, our loving Father, as giver of all good things for which we cannot recompense. We pray for the fullness of the power of your Holy Spirit in us, not as an evil generation who seek a sign, but as obedient children who seek all the unmerited gifts you have promised by your absolute grace to those who truly seek to come together in love in the name of Jesus Christ.
Give us now, Father, for all Christians, of all Christian denominations and churches and congregations and groups, to unite in Jesus’ name, because to us Christians, the name of Jesus means God’s unending, total love to all His children. Give us unity in that name and the love it means to us from you, Father. Give us to work together in love to become united in a common understanding of your word. Give us all now to know Father, that if we desire unity in Jesus’ name, we have only to ask you for it, for Jesus said, “…Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you” (John 16:23). Father, we now come together to ask that we be given unity in the name of Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name give us all now to know that the only limit to the power which is given to us of the Holy Spirit is the limit to which we ask for it, for Jesus said, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13). We therefore come together in prayer in the name of Jesus Christ to ask, Father, that the power of the Holy Spirit be given to us to the full extent of your goodness to your children, and your love for your children, and your grace to your children, all of which we know have no limit. The goodness of you, our loving Father, is without bound and because of this we know you now give us the Holy Spirit with power that is far more than sufficient to unite us, and far more than enough to work all signs and wonders in order to show the world that we, who love both Jesus and all our brethren, are indeed the children of God, whose hearts are perfected in your love for all of us. And the Bible says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him…” (2 Chronicles 16:9).
We know, Father, that by working together to do your will, by striving to make ourselves one in Jesus’ name, in whose name is kept the whole of your love for all your children, we are now given all power over all spirits of evil who would seek to destroy us, and power to cast out all sicknesses from our bodies because Jesus did such works Himself, and He said, “Verily, verily I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:12-14). Jesus is gone to be with you, Father, abiding in your love for all your children, in heaven and also in our hearts, and we know that your Holy Spirit now works as an unseen wind, moving invisibly through us to work any miracle we ask in your name, and making your miracles through us appear to be even greater works than when you did them in person, for you said “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).
We are all born of your Spirit, Jesus, and we know with confidence that you now work through us any miracles we pray for, because we now do your will to make ourselves one in our hearts by our love for all our brethren, for the Bible says “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us” (1 John 5:14) and again, “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us” (1 John 3:21-24).
We have confidence toward you, Father, because our hearts do not condemn us, knowing that we keep your commandments; including your commandment that we should believe on the name of your Son Jesus Christ, whose name is the name of your love for all your children; and also including your commandment that we love one another, all our sisters and brothers, in all Christian denominations and groups. As Christians who have already repented of other sins in the name of Jesus, and now keeping these commandments as well, we dwell in you, Lord, and you dwell in us, which we know by the indwelling Spirit, Himself.
Knowing that Jesus abides in us by the Spirit you have given us, the Spirit of love for all your children, Father, and believing on the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who is your love for all your children, and with your same love in our hearts for all our brethren, of all Christian denominations and groups, we pray together in the glorious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for our unity in His love for which He, Himself prayed and which we therefore know He must receive, for the Bible says, “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand” (John 3:34-35). And Jesus prayed these words “ Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one” (John 17:20-22).
Heavenly Father, we pray that you now show the world the glory you’ve given us. Show the glory of your miracles to heal all sicknesses, that seeing us in obedience to you, together in your love for all our brothers, of all Christian denominations and groups, the world may believe that we are the disciples of the only begotten son sent to the world by the one true God, for Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34-35). We abide united in your love for all your children, Father, keeping your commandments in self-sacrificial love to one another, that all those who are yet now of the world, of whom the Father has given in love to Jesus before the world was, our brethren-to-be and part of the bride-to-be, may behold the glory Jesus gave us of the power of the Holy Spirit to work miracles through us in Him, for Jesus said, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love” (John 15:10), and again, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24).
We believe, Father, that through us who believe in Jesus as your love sent to give eternal life to us Christians, and eternal life to any yet-to-be-delivered brethren now dead in sin, you will work your power to do all, and mighty miracles such as you did in raising Lazarus from the dead, for speaking to Martha, “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:25-26). We now abide together in your love for all your children, in order to let them who need to see, to behold the glory Jesus gave us that we may be one, in which the Son is glorified, and which is the same glory given for Martha and the world to see in the resurrection of Lazarus, for the Bible says, “When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby” (John 11:4), and again, “Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” (John 11:40), and once again, “And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one…” (John 17:22).
You glorified us, Father, and justified us when we answered your call and you formed us together in Jesus to take our rightful place of service to the body, called to your peace with all our brethren in the body of Christ, which is His image for the world to now see in us Christians, for the Bible says, “ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30).
With joy, Father, we have begun to become one in Jesus in the glory he has already given us. In due time, Father, God of all grace, you exalt us in the eternal glory of Jesus as we submit ourselves in humility as younger brethren to each other, our elders, to be perfected by you in your love for all your children, for the Bible says, “ Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time…” (1 Peter 5:5-6), and again, “ But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you” (1 Peter 5:10).
Father, we humbly thank you for the glory you gave Jesus that he’s already given us that we may be one, and we joyously thank you for the earnest of the Spirit you’ve given us already, looking for the coming fullness of joy in your presence with us, because the Bible says, “Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our heart” (2 Corinthians 1:22). It is our greatest present joy to know that it is certainly given to us to eventually become fully united together in Jesus, when you deliver us whose names are all written in the book of life, for you said “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). We know that although the time also surely comes when some of us of understanding will fall, to be tried, and purged, and made white, yet we rejoice now to know that after the tribulation, all of us will be delivered because our names are written in the book.
Knowing that the time of great trouble surely comes, we pray continually, Lord, together in the name of Jesus, that you would “…lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…” (Matthew 6:13), for Jesus said, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41), and again Jesus said “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36). We ask, Lord, that you will keep us from temptations and trials, that you would help us to make ourselves such that we are counted worthy to escape the evils which come. We ask, Father, that you would shorten such days for the sake of us who are the elect, and hasten the time when “…the Spirit and the bride say, Come…” (Revelations 22:17).
In order to prepare the bride, so that she may be presented to you whole and perfect, ready and waiting with her lamp full of the oil of the Spirit, we have already begun to unite by your Spirit and in your word, Father, because we look forward with eager anticipation to the time when these words shall be said concerning you and us, “…Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelations 21:3-4). Only then, Father, and only in Jesus and with you, will our joy be made completely full, when we have no more tears. We pray now, Lord, for the joy of your ever-increasing presence in us, in the body of Christ, because the Bible says, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalms 16:11). We now pray together in the name of Jesus, that you soon make our unity in Jesus complete and make our joy with you full, Lord; and we know you will, for Jesus said, “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24). We watch for the soon coming of our sweet Jesus, and our spirits pray together as with one voice, without ceasing day and night, so that at any hour He may come and find faith in us in our prayer.
This is the prayer our spirits pray together to you, Father, who have given us of your Spirit, now come to live within us. Let this, our prayer, be the house you have built, together with us in our hearts, where we offer you spiritual sacrifices, and where we invite your Spirit to dwell in praise, with our spirits forever. Let this house of prayer be your house, Lord, a house not built with hands, nor by man’s power or might, but by your Spirit, built of truth and the word, on the cornerstone of Jesus Christ and on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. We pray with one voice, Lord, that you would find the prayer in our hearts to be an acceptable home for all time.
In the name of Jesus, Father, we pray to the one Spirit of God, to you who call yourself, “…I AM…” (Exodus 3:14), who is now become by overwhelming, undeserved grace and mercy, part of the “I am” when we speak of our own souls. We pray to you by whom is all that is; whose universe it is; and in whose mind the whole of the universe is but one of many ideas.
We pray to you who set the boundaries of the dominion of man at your pleasure; and to you whose might is so great, that among those fools who would stand in opposition, even their prince must ask permissions for the times and the seasons of the evils he would work. That feeble prince of fools may exist only, Lord, as you may chose to allow, for the Bible says, “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things” (Isaiah 45:7).
Lord of hosts, there are times in our lives when we catch just a glimpse of the tiniest part of the glory and power that is yours; and the majesty of the thing frightens us, that one should have so much. But to our hearts is returned a consolation, greater than our fear, many times over: that, beyond our comprehension, we are perfected in our hearts because we have your love for all your children; that also beyond our knowing is the measure of your power to bestow great grace and gifts; that we may seek and secure all good things for ourselves and for our families by serving you in the love of all the members of the body of Christ, and the Bible says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).
How many gods must we come to know? There is only you, the one God.
How many masters of the universe may there be, and what is their power? There is only you; and your power is above all others, in heaven, on earth, or below, such that no power exists except that is either yours or given of you.
How many givers of all good things are there? You, and you alone, Lord, and the gift we ask first is wisdom. We pray, as did Solomon before us, that we may first receive understanding hearts, united in your love for all your children, as the body of Christ; and we know the Bible says, “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2-3).
This is our prayer for wisdom, which we pray to the All-wise: that you would give us the tiniest fragment of the wisdom that is yours, so that we may also tower over your puny enemies by having the wisdom to live for the life eternal. The wisdom that is of man is foolishness to you, Lord, and we desire instead a part in your certain victory, which you have already won, and which you now show to the world in the increasing fullness of the glory of your power in the one body and Spirit of Christ.
Give us your kind of wisdom Lord, to know that in all our brethren in the family of God, we have a right to expect to see repentance from all unrighteousness, including all the fleshly lusts of this world, and including the carnal pride that causes divisions, for the Bible says, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother” (1 John 3:9-10) and again, “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28), and again, “He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly” (Proverbs 2:7), and again, “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom” (Proverbs 13:10), and again, “Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established…” (Proverbs 24:3).
Be in our hearts, Lord, and teach us understanding. Help us to study the word of God which comes to man in the Spirit through the words of the Bible, and to know the Son who comes to man in the flesh. Holy Father, teach us to serve your Son, Jesus, by serving all your sons, and give us the light to see his Spirit among ourselves, in each other, our brethren in Christ.
Father, make us afraid lest we not serve Jesus in service to the body of Christ; for you sent Him to man once before, to take account of our work here in your vineyard; and we slew Him. When he returns again, let Him find us forgiven in His grace, praying constantly with faith in the one Spirit; the united body of Christ in obedience to His new commandment, standing steadfast against all evil with the boldness of the Spirit who is within us; and rejoicing with the freedom and joy of the Truth in our hearts.
Sweet Father, we humbly beg forgiveness of our sins, for we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We know that you give us mercy, Lord, which we cannot earn. We know that all our sins are forgiven, because we forgive all others for Jesus told us to pray this, “And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us…” (Luke 11:4). We see the promise of grace for grace in the gift of your son, Jesus: In his life, and death, and life again. By your Son we know that with what judgment we judge, it shall be measured unto us again.
Therefore, Father, teach us all mercy to others, for the judgment we seek for ourselves is the judgment with all mercy. “For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment” (James 2:13). Teach us to forgive all other Christians of all sins, that our own sins may be forgiven us in kind, that we may be counted among the righteous, so that our prayers may be heard and avail much.
We pray, Father, that you “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11), and we know you will because we are the people who seek your kingdom and your righteousness first in our lives, for you said, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). Seeking you and your righteousness first, we pray that every Christian financial need be met, and we know it will. Indeed,
Father, you have showered upon us all the many blessings of this life. We don’t make our homes in the streets, as some in the world must. Most of us have never in our lives known hunger, as some know it every waking moment. We have never had to stand by and helplessly watch our children waste away from starvation. Receiving all good things at your hand, Father, we live in comfortable homes, and we have more than enough to eat. And the children, Lord, strong and beautiful; for each smiling face we look upon and for the dear hearts we know within, for these children, Jesus, we are most especially thankful. As we look upon these children, and as we see all that you have given us in this life, may we be reminded of the needs of the poor and learn to give to them of your bountiful gifts to us.
We are grateful to you, Lord, for our families, for all the loved ones you have given us with whom to share this life. We pray that you would heal every Godly relationship, restore every wife and husband and child, together in you. Teach us, Father, to love all people, even our enemies, that we may surround ourselves with those we love.
We pray, Father, that you would heal those among us whose hearts are broken, for we have put our spirits in your hands, and this healing is easily within your power. We pray that you would heal those that are sick among us, whose bodies can only be healed by you, for we know that yours is the power over life and death, and that our sickness may be healed with just a nod of your head. We know that you alone give us life, Lord, and that you give us all power of the Holy Spirit to heal any affliction. We pray together in your one name, and body and Spirit of Jesus Christ; and we know that our bodies are made well and whole at the instant of your will. We praise your name, Jesus, for the healing your Spirit now works in our bodies, so that our very lives and bodies are become a testimony to your unbridled power.
We pray, Master of masters, that you would guide the leaders of our own nation and the leaders of all the peoples of the world; for we know that none can stand without you, and that you will have your way. May the leaders of this world learn the rights that you give to all the peoples of this world.
Teach the world the way of peace, with freedom and dignity for all mankind. As the history of the world unfolds before us, we are ever thankful for your promise to deliver the righteous from all the troubles of the future times, which only you, Lord, may let come to pass.
You are with us in all things, Lord, and you give to us all good. More than you have already given us, we ask for learning only. Show us how to unite in the name of Jesus Christ, how to do all things in His name. Unite us in your word and help us to make peace among ourselves. Help us to learn that your one Holy Spirit is not divided by the ministries of man. Show us how to do great works in the unity of the Spirit, and when the world sees that these things are of you, the prince of fools will tremble at what you have wrought.
Teach our hands to do your work, and guide our footsteps in the way that is right. Help us learn to love you with all our heart, mind, strength, and soul; to love our brothers with a fervent heart, so much that we give our lives for each other, as you did for us; and to love all other neighbors, even enemies, as ourselves. Show us how to say, in all things, “…not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42), “…For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever…” (Matthew 6:13).
This is our prayer believing in the name of Jesus, God’s eternal love for all His children, shown to the world in our sacrificial love for all our brethren, of every Christian denomination and group.
AMEN