Daily Dose of Hope

November 7, 2025

Scripture - John 17

Prayer: Dear Holy God, Your love is amazing. Thank you for the way you care for us. In these next few moments of silence, Lord, help us focus on you...Lord Jesus, help us set aside every distraction and take this time to lean on you. We want to hear your voice. Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily bible reading plan. We are currently in the book of John as we walk through the Gospels and Acts. Today, we are deep diving into John 17.

In our passage, John 17, Jesus is praying, out loud, with the disciples around him. There is a lot of substance here. You probably noticed that there are three sections to Jesus' prayer, the prayer that God will glorify Jesus, a prayer for the disciples, and a prayer for all believers. Unlike the Lord's Prayer which offers a model for prayer, this prayer is more instructive to the disciples about who they are and who Jesus is to them. What might it have been like for the disciples to be seated around a table with Jesus as he prayed out loud for them? Think about what it's like when someone prays out loud for you. It changes your experience of the prayer. It makes it very, very personal.

One interesting aspect of this prayer is that Jesus starts by giving a clear definition of eternal life and it isn't the typical one. He says, ...this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. That seems rather simple - eternal life is to know God and Jesus. How does Jesus' definition here change what we imagine in this life?

Really, the whole prayer paints a picture about what it looks like to be in relationship with God. What does it look like for the disciples to be in relationship with God? What does it look like for us, as the believers who have come after them? We are to be in unity with God but also in unity with one another. In fact, the way the world will know that Jesus was sent by God is because of the love and unity of his followers. Considering the disunity of the body of Christ now and in the past, this just makes me cry!

I was at a conference this past week in which the opening speaker mentioned this specific prayer by Jesus regarding Christian unity. He said it had been his study and prayer focus for several months now. He confessed that it used to really bother him because Christians have failed so miserably at being unified. But after this time of prayer and study, he came to the conclusion that Jesus would not pray something that wasn't possible. And that makes sense. It's not in Jesus' character to set us up for failure. Just because something is difficult does not mean it's impossible. But it is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us as God's people. It's going to take a lot of humility and repentance too!!!

What are your thoughts? Is Christian unity possible?

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki