A Prayer for Unity in the Church This Christmas
By Christine F. Perry
Bible Reading:
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” – Colossians 3:13-14 NIV
Listen or Read Below:
If you’re plugged into a church and, more specifically, a small group, it is remarkable how quickly our flesh can lash out against our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jealousy can come up when you see someone in a happier or easier season than you are. Pride can rise up within you if a church leader corrects you. Gossip can occur when you are frustrated with that one person who grates on you. I remember one missionary saying, “It would be a lot easier for me to be a missionary if it weren’t for the people I was trying to reach.” I am sure pastors and church leaders feel the same.
I believe one of the biggest tactics of the enemy is to keep us isolated and divided. It’s easier to stay home and sleep in on Sunday. It’s nicer to stay home and not have to socialize. It’s more enjoyable to just talk and unload your burdens instead of sharing and bearing other’s burdens. But that is NOT what God called us to do. In fact, Hebrews 10:25 clearly challenges us to be in community by saying, “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
So, how do we keep unity when we are struggling to be with our brothers and sisters? Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor and a spy during World War II said, “I can no longer condemn or hate a brother for whom I pray, no matter how much trouble he causes me.”
My encouragement to myself and to you is this:
- If you’re jealous of a brother or sister — pray for God to grant them increase.
- If you’re hurt by a brother or sister — pray for God to bless them.
- If you’re feeling agitated — pray for God to meet their needs.
Then, I suggest taking it a step further. Ask God to help you see them how he sees them. Oftentimes, God will help us see things we don’t know that our brother or sister may be struggling with behind the scenes.
I remember feeling very hurt by someone close to me who was a believer. I was judging their behavior when the Lord convicted me severely. I confessed my heart attitude and asked for the Lord to forgive me. Then I prayed Numbers 6:24-26 over the person who I felt hurt by. These verses say, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
It’s easy to take offense when someone hurts you, or you’re frustrated with where you are in life, and it seems as though everyone around you is thriving. But, when we take an honest look at ourselves and see how God loves us (1 Corinthians 13), we realize we have no right to hold any grudges against our brothers and sisters.
Let’s Pray:
Dear Lord,
Please forgive us for when we allow our pride, selfishness, ambition, and priorities to come before you and come before our service and love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Lord, when we take a moment to look at our sin in light of your holiness, we have nothing to stand on except your mercy and your grace. You say in Psalm 130:3, “If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?” Lord, please help us to become the people you want us to become. Help us to think the best of each other. Help us to hold no record of wrong. Please help us to be patient, kind, long-suffering, and never failing to grant grace and forgiveness to each other.
Father, we ask that you would help us to be people of prayer. Help us to always be quick to listen, slow to speak, and eager to serve one another in love. Help us to read your Word daily so that the words we speak will be filled with truth and love. Help us to listen to you so that we can better know how and where you want to use us. Lord, thank you for never giving up on us. Help us to never give up on each other. We are all your kids, and we want to please you. Thank you for saving us. Amen.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Winyuu
Christine is just a lady who was given the gift of being raised in an incredible family. For reasons unknown to her, God has blessed her with an amazing life full of beautiful friendships, remarkable experiences, and a love from Him that is completely underserved. She desires to encourage others and share hope as we journey through the highs and lows of life. Christine is the author of How I Met Peace and For the Weary Life Traveler, a 31-day devotional. Check out more of Christine’s work at her website: Learning to be fearless and her Patreon.
Editor’s Note: We’re proud to announce we’ve just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You’ll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it’s a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
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