The Perfect Prayer
By Rev. Heidi L. Barham | June 1, 2025
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Read: John 17:20 – 26 (NIV)
When we look at our New Testament lesson as it appears in the New International Version of the Bible, this particular passage from John’s Gospel comes under the heading, “Jesus Prays for All Believers.”
Now, I don’t know about you, but I do find it rather comforting to know that Jesus prays for all believers... which means He prays for you and for me... and if Jesus is the One doing the praying... there can be no doubt that it is THE PERFECT PRAYER.
And at the heart of Jesus’ prayer is a simple desire for all of His disciples... in other words, for all believers to live in unity... to live together in union with God... to be joined together by the one love that can only come from God.
This is indeed THE PERFECT PRAYER... because it calls us to live together in unity as believers in the Perfect God who gave us the Perfect Savior because of His Perfect Love for us.
And this is the same desire that Jesus has for us today... but sadly, it is a desire in which the world seems to be falling woefully short. A quick glance at the headlines in the newspaper or on the Internet or on TV is all anyone needs to see to know that we, as a society, are anything but united.
And it is not just the world outside of the church where divisions can be found. Although it does not apply to Ledgewood... it is not uncommon to find good church folk taking sides and engaging in less than Christian-like behavior in some of those other churches.
Whether it is disagreements over which version of the Bible should be read in corporate settings, the style of worship music that should be played, or the color of carpet and paint in a newly remodeled sanctuary... there is no shortage of fuel for the fires of disunity within any given church.
And let’s not talk about the arguments that arise over how we should respond to matters of social justice or reach out to marginalized people across a broad spectrum of diverse populations. Just suffice it to say, the outside world does not hold a monopoly on divisiveness.
But as the church, there is a call and a mandate for us to do better and to be better... to live, not as the rest of the world lives, but to live as Christ prayed in THE PERFECT PRAYER... that we would live in unity with one another... united together as one... just as God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one.
And as Jesus says in THE PERFECT PRAYER... when we, the believers, live together in unity, with one heart and one mind... the rest of the world will take notice... and they will be able to bear witness to the truth that because of His unconditional, everlasting love for them, God sent Jesus to be our Savior.
It all boils down to love, the love of God that is like no other... it is that love that God has for each and every one of us that went all the way to that cross on Calvary so that we would have eternal life...
Now, as we become intentional in praying THE PERFECT PRAYER for us to live as one with one another just as God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit live as one, we will learn so much more about God’s love.
The first thing I want to suggest that we will learn about God’s love when we pray THE PERFECT PRAYER is that it will take the limits off.
I once read a devotional that said, “God is not limited by our lack.” The statement was made in reference to the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath.
God sent Elijah to a region that was experiencing a famine to find a widow whose pantry was empty... but in spite of there being a famine, God sent Elijah to the widow so she could feed him. Perhaps to some of us that scenario makes no sense... after all, why would God send a man to someone who has nothing... in order to ask them for something?
But when it comes to the things of God... what may not make sense to us makes perfect sense to God.
Now, when Elijah asked the widow to bring him a piece of bread, she told him she didn’t have any bread... explaining that she only had a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. She went on to explain further that her plan was to make one last meal for herself and her son... so. they could eat it before they died.
However, Elijah was on a mission from God. So, he told the woman to go home and do what she had planned to do... but he told her to make a small loaf of bread for him first... and then make something for her and her son to eat.
And then he gave her a message from the Lord, “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.”
And according to the scriptures, “She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah” (1 Kings 17:7 – 16).
Where we see impossibilities, the scriptures remind us that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
But not only does God’s love take the limits off... when we pray THE PERFECT PRAYER, we will see that God’s love helps us to overcome obstacles.
In his letter to the Philippian Church (Philippians 4:11 – 13), the Apostle Paul expressed his gratitude for the gifts that they had shared with him; and he told them:
Read: John 17:20 – 26 (NIV)
When we look at our New Testament lesson as it appears in the New International Version of the Bible, this particular passage from John’s Gospel comes under the heading, “Jesus Prays for All Believers.”
Now, I don’t know about you, but I do find it rather comforting to know that Jesus prays for all believers... which means He prays for you and for me... and if Jesus is the One doing the praying... there can be no doubt that it is THE PERFECT PRAYER.
And at the heart of Jesus’ prayer is a simple desire for all of His disciples... in other words, for all believers to live in unity... to live together in union with God... to be joined together by the one love that can only come from God.
This is indeed THE PERFECT PRAYER... because it calls us to live together in unity as believers in the Perfect God who gave us the Perfect Savior because of His Perfect Love for us.
And this is the same desire that Jesus has for us today... but sadly, it is a desire in which the world seems to be falling woefully short. A quick glance at the headlines in the newspaper or on the Internet or on TV is all anyone needs to see to know that we, as a society, are anything but united.
And it is not just the world outside of the church where divisions can be found. Although it does not apply to Ledgewood... it is not uncommon to find good church folk taking sides and engaging in less than Christian-like behavior in some of those other churches.
Whether it is disagreements over which version of the Bible should be read in corporate settings, the style of worship music that should be played, or the color of carpet and paint in a newly remodeled sanctuary... there is no shortage of fuel for the fires of disunity within any given church.
And let’s not talk about the arguments that arise over how we should respond to matters of social justice or reach out to marginalized people across a broad spectrum of diverse populations. Just suffice it to say, the outside world does not hold a monopoly on divisiveness.
But as the church, there is a call and a mandate for us to do better and to be better... to live, not as the rest of the world lives, but to live as Christ prayed in THE PERFECT PRAYER... that we would live in unity with one another... united together as one... just as God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one.
And as Jesus says in THE PERFECT PRAYER... when we, the believers, live together in unity, with one heart and one mind... the rest of the world will take notice... and they will be able to bear witness to the truth that because of His unconditional, everlasting love for them, God sent Jesus to be our Savior.
It all boils down to love, the love of God that is like no other... it is that love that God has for each and every one of us that went all the way to that cross on Calvary so that we would have eternal life...
Now, as we become intentional in praying THE PERFECT PRAYER for us to live as one with one another just as God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit live as one, we will learn so much more about God’s love.
The first thing I want to suggest that we will learn about God’s love when we pray THE PERFECT PRAYER is that it will take the limits off.
I once read a devotional that said, “God is not limited by our lack.” The statement was made in reference to the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath.
God sent Elijah to a region that was experiencing a famine to find a widow whose pantry was empty... but in spite of there being a famine, God sent Elijah to the widow so she could feed him. Perhaps to some of us that scenario makes no sense... after all, why would God send a man to someone who has nothing... in order to ask them for something?
But when it comes to the things of God... what may not make sense to us makes perfect sense to God.
Now, when Elijah asked the widow to bring him a piece of bread, she told him she didn’t have any bread... explaining that she only had a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. She went on to explain further that her plan was to make one last meal for herself and her son... so. they could eat it before they died.
However, Elijah was on a mission from God. So, he told the woman to go home and do what she had planned to do... but he told her to make a small loaf of bread for him first... and then make something for her and her son to eat.
And then he gave her a message from the Lord, “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.”
And according to the scriptures, “She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah” (1 Kings 17:7 – 16).
Where we see impossibilities, the scriptures remind us that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
But not only does God’s love take the limits off... when we pray THE PERFECT PRAYER, we will see that God’s love helps us to overcome obstacles.
In his letter to the Philippian Church (Philippians 4:11 – 13), the Apostle Paul expressed his gratitude for the gifts that they had shared with him; and he told them:
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
How often have we found ourselves in situations where we were facing what seemed to be insurmountable obstacles but then God stepped in and made a way for us to overcome whatever those obstacles may have been?
Whenever we find ourselves facing difficulties that feel like too much to handle... we have the assurance that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. That means we can move beyond the financial setbacks, the health challenges and the relationship issues as well as any other difficulties that come our way because God’s love will help us to overcome obstacles.
But not only does God’s love take the limits off and help us overcome the obstacles we may be facing... praying THE PERFECT PRAYER helps understand that God’s love is vital for victory.
It is in 1 John 5 (2 – 4) that we find these words:
Whenever we find ourselves facing difficulties that feel like too much to handle... we have the assurance that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. That means we can move beyond the financial setbacks, the health challenges and the relationship issues as well as any other difficulties that come our way because God’s love will help us to overcome obstacles.
But not only does God’s love take the limits off and help us overcome the obstacles we may be facing... praying THE PERFECT PRAYER helps understand that God’s love is vital for victory.
It is in 1 John 5 (2 – 4) that we find these words:
This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
When we love God, we do not waste time in carrying out His commands... and this includes the command to love one another. And because of our faith and our love for God... we have been promised that we will have victory over the things of this world that threaten to overtake us.
Although we may not like to admit it, sin is running rampant in this world. And if we are being honest, we do not have to look far to find the closest sinner... all we have to do is take a look in the mirror... because as Paul wrote in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
But here’s the good news... if we keep reading a little further to Romans 6:23, we find these words of encouragement, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
And there is even more good news over in 1 Corinthians 15, where we read, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:56 – 57).
Now, I don’t know if this would qualify as a spoiler alert... but because of God’s love for us we can look toward the future... not with fear and trepidation... but with the assurance and confidence that in the end – we win! Because we have the victory through Jesus the Christ.
God’s love takes the limits off... it helps us to overcome obstacles, and it is vital for victory... and there is one more thing that praying THE PERFECT PRAYER allows us to see about God’s love... and that is, it is essential for eternity.
We can see this clearly by looking at two verses of scripture.
The first is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
And the second is Romans 5:8 which reads, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”
These two verses illustrate how God’s love is essential for eternity. It is only because of His love for us that Christ gave His life so that we would have the promise of eternity with Him.
And this is the most amazing thing about that, there is nothing that we could have ever done or could ever hope to do to earn or to deserve God’s love. He gives it to us freely simply because “God is love” (1 John 4:8).
God loves us [period]. And all He asks in return is that we love Him and love one another.
Perhaps you recall the story of the Pharisee who asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment. Jesus’ response to him was simply, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 22:37 – 39).
God’s love for us, our love for God and our love for one another is literally the perfect response to THE PERFECT PRAYER... because the call for us to live in unity is made possible because of the basic truth that we find in 1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.”
It is that love that God calls us to share with one another... and also to share with a world that needs to know that God loves them... so that we might all live as ONE... joined together in unity as Jesus prayed when prayed THE PERFECT PRAYER.
Jesus has taught us that we are demonstrating that perfect unifying love of God each time we offer food and drink to those who are hungry and thirsty... or offer shelter and clothing to someone who is in need... or when we look after the sick and visit those who are in prison.
But those are just some of the ways we can share this love with a world that truly needs God’s love more than ever before. If we keep our eyes, ears, and hearts open... we will discover even more ways to share God’s love with others.
So, the challenge before us today is to be intentional about praying THE PERFECT PRAYER... so that we can truly live in unity with one another... just as God has always intended us to live.
And if you are willing to make that0 your prayer today, then I want to invite you to stand and join in singing our Hymn of Discipleship: Sweet Hour of Prayer #570.
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Although we may not like to admit it, sin is running rampant in this world. And if we are being honest, we do not have to look far to find the closest sinner... all we have to do is take a look in the mirror... because as Paul wrote in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
But here’s the good news... if we keep reading a little further to Romans 6:23, we find these words of encouragement, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
And there is even more good news over in 1 Corinthians 15, where we read, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:56 – 57).
Now, I don’t know if this would qualify as a spoiler alert... but because of God’s love for us we can look toward the future... not with fear and trepidation... but with the assurance and confidence that in the end – we win! Because we have the victory through Jesus the Christ.
God’s love takes the limits off... it helps us to overcome obstacles, and it is vital for victory... and there is one more thing that praying THE PERFECT PRAYER allows us to see about God’s love... and that is, it is essential for eternity.
We can see this clearly by looking at two verses of scripture.
The first is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
And the second is Romans 5:8 which reads, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”
These two verses illustrate how God’s love is essential for eternity. It is only because of His love for us that Christ gave His life so that we would have the promise of eternity with Him.
And this is the most amazing thing about that, there is nothing that we could have ever done or could ever hope to do to earn or to deserve God’s love. He gives it to us freely simply because “God is love” (1 John 4:8).
God loves us [period]. And all He asks in return is that we love Him and love one another.
Perhaps you recall the story of the Pharisee who asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment. Jesus’ response to him was simply, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 22:37 – 39).
God’s love for us, our love for God and our love for one another is literally the perfect response to THE PERFECT PRAYER... because the call for us to live in unity is made possible because of the basic truth that we find in 1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.”
It is that love that God calls us to share with one another... and also to share with a world that needs to know that God loves them... so that we might all live as ONE... joined together in unity as Jesus prayed when prayed THE PERFECT PRAYER.
Jesus has taught us that we are demonstrating that perfect unifying love of God each time we offer food and drink to those who are hungry and thirsty... or offer shelter and clothing to someone who is in need... or when we look after the sick and visit those who are in prison.
But those are just some of the ways we can share this love with a world that truly needs God’s love more than ever before. If we keep our eyes, ears, and hearts open... we will discover even more ways to share God’s love with others.
So, the challenge before us today is to be intentional about praying THE PERFECT PRAYER... so that we can truly live in unity with one another... just as God has always intended us to live.
And if you are willing to make that0 your prayer today, then I want to invite you to stand and join in singing our Hymn of Discipleship: Sweet Hour of Prayer #570.
