March 21 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

In March we read the gospel of John. John wrote his gospel so that his readers would know and believe the claims of Jesus. Those who do have everlasting life here and now.

Bible Reading:

John 17:20–26

Bible Text:

"I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one" (John 17:20).

Devotional:

On his last evening with his friends, Jesus prayed to his Father. That prayer, recorded in John 17, is called our Lord's high-priestly prayer. With these words Jesus consecrated himself for sacrifice and prayed for those for whom he would die.

Jesus also prayed for you and me that evening: "I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message." We are the ones who believe in Jesus through the message of the apostles. Their testimony about Jesus was written under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the books that contain their message form the New Testament. Those who believe in Christ today do so because they have believed the apostles' testimony.

"I pray ... that all of them may be one." The unity Christ desires for his followers is a unity of love. He wants us to participate in the love that exists eternally between the Father and the Son. This love from God now lives in us, and through us it spreads to others. It is such a rare and good thing that it makes people stop and wonder. In fact, our unity in love can convince people that we belong to Jesus and that Jesus is from God.

Divisions within the church are painful obstacles to the cause of Christ. May the Spirit of Christ help and heal us so the world may know that we are Christians by our love.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.