Undivided | Week One
Staying Together
With social media, candidates, and news stations vying for your attention, time, and commitment, how can you follow God's lead and stick with the people around you? (Even when you disagree.) Sticking together through today's complex issues can feel impossible, even when you are trying to follow Jesus together.
Jesus invites everyone to come together around Him and His Word. He will help you bring your very best to the people in your life, even when blame, offense, anger, and more try to tear you apart. Sticking together will help you experience God's presence and more joy with the people in your life. Most importantly, the world will see Jesus more clearly when His people work to stay undivided.
This study follows the “Lectio P.R.A.Y. Model” to help you and the people in your life live Undivided. It can be done individually, but it is better to go through it with the people you are walking toward Jesus with.
Pause:
Pause and be still. Breathe slowly. Center yourself in God’s presence for 60 seconds.
Take several slow, deep breaths. As you quiet yourself, acknowledge God’s presence by saying, “God, you are with me.”
When ready, pray:
God, create in me a unified heart. Make me aware of anything in me that is threatening unity from happening around me. Grow my awareness of opportunities to pursue and create unity by the power of your Spirit.
Rejoice and Reflect:
How wonderful and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in harmony!
2 For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil
that was poured over Aaron’s head,
that ran down his beard
and onto the border of his robe.
3 Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon
that falls on the mountains of Zion.
And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing,
even life everlasting.
(Psalm 133 NLT)
Pause and pray
Read the account of Jesus as he prays for his followers in John 17:20-23
I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
Ask:
What in me prevents me from helping bring unity to the people and places around me? Be specific.
What support do I need to work on the things in me that prevent or threaten unity around me?
What is God inviting me to do to initiate greater unity around me?
Yield:
Return to the passage again. Consider reading it in a different translation. If doing this in a group, have someone different read the passage. Invite God to show you something new as you read the passage a second time:
I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. (John 17:20-23)
What new insight do you gain from reading the passage again?
Pause and pray:
·What prayer is rising up in you in response to today’s reflection? Speak out that prayer with your group or write it down.
Act:
What people or places that are close to me am I being invited to pray this passage from John 17 over? How will my prayers be embodied in my actions?
Based on what you’ve heard from God during this reflection time, how will you respond in obedience this week?