Words of Hope Daily Devotional
Complete Unity
Read: John 17:20-26
. . . I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. (v. 23)
A hymn written by John Fawcett echoes Jesus’s prayer: “Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love . . . Before our Father’s throne, we pour our ardent prayers; our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares.” We have many commonalities. Yet we often focus on differences rather than similarities. Jesus wants us to seek unity. Peter Scholtes penned these words for another song based on John 13:35: “We are one in the Spirit; we are one in the Lord . . . And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”
Jesus prayed earnestly for all believers to be one, see his glory, and know and share his love. It’s an intimate plea for connection, based on love. Love is a verb, not just an idea or feeling. To Jesus, love meant self-sacrifice. How do we express love? As the song above notes, “We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand . . . We will work with each other, we will work side by side; and we’ll guard each one’s dignity and save each one’s pride.” It takes work and cooperation and a focus on love.
After praying, Jesus left with his disciples to go into the garden of Gethsemane, where he demonstrated his love. May his prayers for peace, joy, glory, and unity become our own as we learn to live like him.
As you pray, ask for strength and wisdom to live into the fulfillment of Jesus’s prayers.
About the Author
Denise Vredevoogd
Denise Vredevoogd is a private piano teacher who lives near Grand Rapids, Michigan. She enjoys reading, writing, gardening, and spending time in nature with her adult sons and daughters.
God, Have Mercy
Read: Luke 18:9-14 God, have mercy on me, a sinner. (v. 13 NIV) Is doubt a virtue? I doubt it, if Jesus tells us to stop. Well, then, is doubt a sin? It might be, or it might not be,
Lord, Save Me
Read: Matthew 21:18-22 If you have faith and do not doubt . . . you can say to this mountain, “Go, throw yourself into the sea,” and it will be done. (v. 21 NIV) Peter had great faith until he
Great Prayer, Great Faith
Read: John 17:6-21 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. (v. 15 NIV) Our story yesterday from Matthew 14 is a picture of where we live
The Sands of Doubt
Read: Matthew 14:22-31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (v. 31 NIV) Does Jesus’s question to Peter make you uncomfortable? I was raised in a church that
Next Steps
Read: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (v. 13) I hope this series on biblical resolutions has encouraged you in living the Christian life. As you strive
Live With an Attitude of Gratitude
Read: Psalm 16:5-11 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices. (v. 9) If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you are currently experiencing winter. Winter includes colder temperatures and less daylight. Along with the lack of warmth