I praise You, God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I believe in You, God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, the only Son, our Lord. I believe in the Holy Spirit. You are one Spirit, one Lord, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. In perfect love and unity You worked to create, to rescue, and to restore. You, Lord, display Your unfathomable unity within Your Trinitarian diversity.
Because You are one, You have called Your people to live as one – to live in love and peace with You and with one another. But too often my love has turned inward – toward myself. And so I have chosen selfishness over selflessness, division over connection, and hostility over unity. I have been at odds with people that I should have embraced and served.
I have not walked in a manner worthy of the calling to which I have been called. I have not always pursued the kind of unity that Jesus prayed for on the night before His death. I have not always sought the kind of unity that the apostle Paul wrote about when he compared the church to a single body with many parts which work together. I have not exemplified the kind of unity that John saw in his vision of heaven – every tribe, tongue, and nation gathered to worship. I have not lived a life that measures up to the Great Commandment You have given, which is to love.
Lord, I confess that I have been guilty of pride and harshness in my relationships. I have been impatient and arrogant. I have focused on what divides rather than on what unites. I have been at war with You, with others, and within myself. What I have earned as a result of my sin – my love turned self-ward – is death. I need a Savior!
And, thankfully, You have provided me with a Savior, Your Son, Jesus Christ. He was pierced for my transgressions. He was crushed for my iniquities. Upon Him was the chastisement that brought me peace. I am like a sheep that has gone astray. I turned to my own way. But You, Lord, laid my iniquity onto Jesus.
Once again, I repent of my sin and trust in Jesus. You have sent Your Spirit to live in me. As I yield to Your indwelling Spirit, I can now live a life worthy of Your calling. Help me always be humble and gentle. Help me be patient with others, making allowance for their faults because, in Christ, You have made allowances for me. May I be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Thank You for the diversity that exists in the Church, in my community, in the nation, and in the world. Please let me be an agent of unity within that diversity, showing the world that there is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all. Help me, God, join You in calling others into the glorious hope that we can all share in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
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This prayer has been inspired by Ephesians 4:1-6. Some of the words and phrases in this prayer have been taken directly from the English Standard Version, the Amplified Bible, the Contemporary English Version, the Good News Translation, the New Living Translation, and The Message. Words were also used from Apostles’ Creed.
