Stretching Your Faith Through Prayer

In John 17, we encounter what scholars call Jesus' “High Priestly Prayer”—perhaps the most profound glimpse into Christ's heart for his church. Like a skilled physical therapist working to increase flexibility, this prayer stretches us in uncomfortable but necessary ways as it challenges our understanding of Christian identity and unity.

This prayer comes at a crucial moment—after the Last Supper but before Gethsemane. Christ, knowing his crucifixion is approaching, prays first for himself (verses 1-5), then for his disciples (verses 6-19), and finally for all future believers (verses 20-26). This last section directly addresses us, revealing Christ's vision for his church across all time.

At the prayer's core lies the concept of glory—the tangible expression of God's nature and character. Christ demonstrated this glory supremely through his sacrificial death, revealing God's unconditional love for all humanity. This same glory, Christ says, he has given to us so that we might be one as he and the Father are one.

We all carry multiple identities—professional, cultural, political, familial. None of these are inherently wrong, but they become problematic when they supersede our primary identity in Christ. Jesus understood this challenge. His original disciples included Simon the Zealot (who opposed Rome) and Matthew the tax collector (who collaborated with Rome)—yet both found unity in their higher identity as followers of Christ.

The statistics are sobering: 40 million Americans have stopped attending church in the past 25 years, marking the largest and fastest religious shift in our nation's history. While we might be tempted to blame external factors—the pandemic, political polarization, cultural shifts—we must ask ourselves: Have we, as Christians, contributed to this exodus by allowing secondary identities to fracture our unity?

Christ's prayer reveals that authentic Christian unity:

• Is not uniformity in all theological or political views
• Does not preclude disagreement or accountability
• Does not require identical worship styles or church expressions
• Does demand that we maintain loving relationships despite our differences
• Calls us to stand gracefully in our convictions while remaining relationally connected
• Requires us to will and work for the best of all believers

1. God sent Jesus
2. The Father loves humanity as he loves the Son
3. The Christian message transcends human divisions

When we fail at unity, we fail at mission. Our disunity obscures the very love we're called to demonstrate.

To become an answer to Jesus' prayer requires:

1. Honest Assessment: What truly functions as our primary identity? Our political affiliation? Our theological tribe? Our cultural background? Or our relationship with Christ?
2. Intentional Reordering: We must consciously place our identity in Christ above all other identities, allowing it to shape how we view God, read Scripture, treat fellow believers, and engage with those outside the faith.
3. Active Unity: We must work to maintain unity with other believers, especially those who differ from us in secondary matters.
4. Mission Focus: We must remember that our unity isn't merely for our benefit—it's to demonstrate God's love to a watching world.

This path isn't easy. It will stretch us beyond our comfort zones. We'll face the temptation to retreat into the safety of our secondary identities. But the prize—demonstrating God's glory and love to a world desperate for both—makes the stretching worthwhile.

Christ's prayer for unity remains partially unanswered. Yet rather than despairing, this reality should drive us to examine ourselves and recommit to making our relationship with Christ our highest identity. For when we do, we become living answers to our Lord's prayer and powerful witnesses to his transforming love.

The world doesn't need more Christians defined primarily by their politics, their denomination, or their cultural preferences. It needs believers who find their primary identity in Christ and demonstrate his supernatural love across every human division. This is our calling. This is our challenge. This is our opportunity.

The question is: Will we allow ourselves to be stretched?