Scriptural Prayers - Glory in the Church
David W Palmer
(John 17:9–22 NKJV) “… I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. … {20} I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; {21} 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. {22} And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one.
This is Jesus praying to his Father while still on earth in his pre-resurrection body. So even though he is God, he was born of a woman; therefore, this is a holy, righteous, faith-filled, man praying in man’s domain. In other words, this is a legitimate prayer that God can answer—and he certainly has and is continuing to do so.
The first thing we notice is that this is a prayer for Christians; it is not a prayer for the world or unsaved people. This is Jesus praying for his church, his body, as our faithful High Priest.
First, he prays that “they may be one.” We can therefore echo this prayer in his name—thanking God for answering it. 2,000 years have passed since Jesus first prayed this, and the full answer is still unfolding; the unity that he prayed for is increasing. We need to have our faith in this prayer and continue to thank and praise Father for its full answer in our generation.
Next, we see that Jesus said something truly astounding in his prayer: “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one.” Jesus said that he gave us his glory. This is amazing in itself, but then he revealed his objective for giving it to us: “that they may be one.” From this, we can surmise that the way that his prayer for unity is to be fulfilled is not by discussion, dialogue, compromising doctrine, or “working together” by sheer willpower or force. His way of seeing unity is by giving us his glory. Let’s investigate.
Without doubt, Jesus came to earth in glory:
(John 1:14 KJV) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Scripture indicates that Jesus’s glory was demonstrated or manifested in miracles:
(John 2:11 KJV) This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
Glory is also mentioned in the context of bringing glory to his Father:
(John 11:4 KJV) 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.
Plus, Jesus also reveals that our faith or believing is connected to seeing God’s glory in manifestation:
(John 11:40 NKJV) Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
The Holy Spirit says that Jesus will return for a pure spotless bride/church—one that is glorious and holy:
(Ephesians 5:27 NLT) He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.
At the time Jesus presents this pure bride to himself, we must believe that the church will be as full of glory and unity as it will ever be prior to his return. In other words, Jesus’s prayer for unity will be as fully attained as is possible before his second coming.
So far, we have seen that for this to happen, we have a part to play. We need to engage in this prayer, thanking and praising God for his answer. We also need to engage our faith in the manifestation of his glory, and I believe we need to have the vision of a glorious church—full of grace and truth, experiencing miracles that bring glory to God.
Not only did Jesus pray for this; but in the Old Testament, Father had already promised the full manifestation of his glory on earth:
(Isaiah 6:3 NKJV)
(Habakkuk 2:14 NKJV)
