A Call to Follow Unity Prayer

Imagine every Christian standing side by side and locking arms with one another as they all go out to make disciples and do the things that God has commanded them to do—expand God’s kingdom at every front in every part of the world. Christians are called to be united in Christ. As a church community, we ought to love one another and live with each other in harmony.

Colossians 3:14

And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

What is a prayer for unity?

A prayer for unity, just as the phrase says, is praying for unity in your church community or among different Christian churches. Here is one simple prayer you can pray for unity in your church:

Heavenly Father, I pray that every one of us will stand in one accord as we are united in Christ. I pray that there shall be no strife nor division among us. I rebuke whatever plans the enemy has made to cause division in our church in the name of Jesus. I pray that we won’t be consumed with useless rivalry or conceit, but we will value one another and count others to be more significant than us. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

 

1 Corinthians 1:10

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

How do you encourage unity in the church?

The key here is love and peace. We encourage unity by encouraging and reminding every believer that we ought to love one another and live in peace. How can we be united if we are all fighting against each other? Jesus commanded us to love one another, for that is how the world will know that we are His disciples. We cannot be united if we don’t love one another and treat each other as brothers and sisters. 1 John has always emphasized that if someone is truly saved and has known God, he or she should love his or her brother/sister in Christ. The way we treat each other is important if we want to be all of the same accord and have one mind. Christ unites every believer by the Holy Spirit because we are all followers of Christ, Who is the very foundation of the community of believers. As His followers, we should exemplify that we are truly His followers by how we treat other believers. Unity involves loving others, humility, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and more. As Christians, we are all baptized into one body. 

2 Corinthians 13:11

Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

1 John 4:11-12

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

1 John 4:20

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

Ephesians 4:3

Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Romans 15:5–6

5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 12:16

Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

1 Peter 3:8

Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

Colossians 3:12-14

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

1 Corinthians 12:13

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

You can pray this prayer for love to abound in your church community:

Father in heaven, I pray that You would all give us the grace to love one another selflessly. Help us to be compassionate, humble, kind, meek, patient, gentle, and forgiving of one another. Give us the grace to be Christlike toward one another and to always seek to live in peace with each other. Remind us, Lord, to weep with those who weep and to rejoice with those who rejoice. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

“Where there is unity, there is strength” in Scripture

Having strength in unity is a famous concept even among non-believers. In the Bible, the verse that we quote indicates something similar to this common saying:

Ecclesiastes 4:12

And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 gives us a good analogy as to why we should stand united as Christians. That does not pertain only to making disciples, but also as we live our Christian life. For sure, there are sufferings and hardships that we will encounter in life. We ought to face them; not alone but with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, who shall be there for us, pray for us, and encourage us.

Heavenly Father, I pray that we would all strengthen our bonds toward each other as a church community and that we shall all face our hardships, not alone but together with others. Remind us that we are easily broken on our own, but with others we stand strong together. In Jesus’ name. I pray. Amen.

What does the Bible say about working together in unity?

The Bible compares the church to a body (Ephesians 4:16). In any body, each of the body parts should work together in harmony. For example, if a body wants to walk, both legs should coordinate which one will step next. The eyes and head are also involved so that the body can think which direction to go and see well enough to get there. In other words, just like the body’s various parts, every Christian in the body of Christ should work together. That is why we ought to build ourselves, the body, in love. Only when the body is united can each part work together. That means no one is less important, and no one is too important. All parts need each other (1 Corinthians 12:14-26). Imagine a body that is only composed of eyes? In the same way, there may be different believers who have different gifts, talents, and roles, but no one is too important or less important than the other.

As you do ministry with fellow believers, here is one prayer you can pray as you all work together:

Heavenly Father, I thank You because it is a privilege to serve You. I pray that as we all work together, we shall all be rooted in love toward each other. Help us be humble and never think of ourselves as more important or better than others. Give us the grace to appreciate each other’s differences and how they complement each other as we all work together. Remind us that our ministry is never about us but all about You. Therefore, we should be united with the same mind of serving You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Being united does not mean everyone should be the same. In fact, it is the opposite. Everyone is unique and different, yet they all still work together, being of one accord, having the same mind, and all baptized into one body in one Spirit. A church cannot accomplish things for the kingdom of God if it is divided. Division is from the enemy. That is why unity and relationships are something for which we should always fight.