The prayer of Jesus, recorded in John 17 (NIV), can be divided into three segments: Jesus prays for Himself (verses 1-5); Jesus prays for His disciples (verses 6-17), and Jesus prays for all believers (verses 20-26). In verses 20-21, Jesus says, “My prayer is not for them alone,” referring to the disciples mentioned in verses 6-17. “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

It is so comforting and encouraging to know that Jesus prayed for us as far back as 2000 years ago. His prayer was rather unique, in that it involved all future Christians who would become followers of Jesus as a result of the testimony or the preaching of His disciples. It seems that it was God’s plan to establish the kingdom of grace on earth and then entrust the disciples to carry the good news about that kingdom to the entire world. We can all boast of God’s blessings today and the transformation of our lives, due to the working of the Holy Spirit and the sharing of the good news of salvation by His dedicated disciples of yesteryear and/or His modern disciples of these current times.

Last year in the Atlantic Union, as of the third quarter, more than 2,198 individuals were added to our ranks as the result of faithful witnesses and preachers who shared the hope of the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and soon-coming King. We can only rejoice that men, women, youth, and children are sensing their need and turning their lives over to the control of Jesus. The valuable preaching of the disciples, recorded in the Word of God, is a constant challenge for every Christian living in these times. We must therefore allow ourselves to be used by the Holy Spirit in 2010 as never before, in order to share hope, and disciple someone for the kingdom of God. Let us do all we can to receive the blessings promised and prayed for in the prayer of Jesus recorded in John 17:1-26.

Carlyle Simmons is the Atlantic Union Conference executive secretary and the Health Ministries, Human Relations, and Prayer Ministries director.