Revival: One Heart with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Sarah Abigail
Sep 23
7 min read

"That they may be made, perfect in one"

A Heartfelt Prayer for Oneness

These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.

For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Devotional Reflection

In this sacred Year of the Lord 5786, we stand at a pivotal moment in history. The world grows increasingly fragmented, yet the heart of God remains unchanged. From the beginning, our Creator designed us for unity—unity with Him and unity with one another.

This divine unity is not merely a pleasant ideal but the very foundation of revival.

When Jesus prayed His high priestly prayer in John 17, He revealed the profound mystery of spiritual unity. Notice how He prays not just for the disciples' unity with each other, but for their unity with the Godhead itself: "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us." This is the pattern for true revival—a restoration of our oneness with the Trinity and, flowing from that, oneness with each other.

Revival begins with the awareness that we are never alone. The Father, Son, and Holy

Spirit are continuously present with us. The Father watches over us with tender loving care, the

Son intercedes for us at the right hand of God, and the Holy Spirit dwells within us as our beloved Comforter, teacher, companion and Guide. This divine presence is not distant or theoretical but immediate and transformative.

Yet how often do we live as practical atheists, acknowledging God's presence with our lips while living as though He were absent? True revival awakens us to the reality of God our Father's holy presence with us. It strips away the veil of familiarity that dulls our spiritual senses and restores back our capacity to be awestruck by the One who is "high and lifted up" yet closer than our very breath.

The early church in Acts demonstrated this revival reality. They were "of one heart and one soul" (Acts 4:32), not because they agreed on everything or had identical personalities, but because they shared a common experience of the risen Christ and the indwelling Spirit. Their unity was not manufactured through human effort but was the natural outflow of their unity and oneness with God.

In this Acceptable Year of the Lord 5786, God is calling His people back to this fundamental reality. The Father yearns for His children to be one as He and the Son are one. The Son continues to intercede for our unity daily as Holy Spirit works mightily to bind us together in love.

Revival comes when we align our hearts with this divine yearning—when we hunger for unity with God the Father and with one another more than we desire comfort, convenience, or being right. It comes when we recognize that we are members of Christ's body, inseparably connected to Him as our Head and to each other as fellow members.

The purpose of this unity is not merely for our benefit but for the glory of the Father.

Jesus said, "that the world may believe that You sent Me." Our unity—both with God and with each other—is our most powerful witness to a fragmented world. When people see in us a reflection of the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, they glimpse the reality of God's kingdom breaking into this world.

As we seek revival in this acceptable Year of the Lord, let us begin by renewing our awareness of God's continuous presence. Let us open ourselves to deeper communion with each Person of the Trinity. And let us commit ourselves to being of one heart and unified purpose with our brothers and sisters in Christ, that together we might bring glory and honor to our Father in heaven.

Personal Reflection Questions

1. How aware am I of the continuous presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in my daily life?

2. In what ways have I allowed division or disunity to hinder the work of revival in my heart and family?

3. What practical steps can I take today to align my heart more fully with God's heart for unity?

4. How might my relationships with other believers better reflect the unity of the Trinity?

5. What would it look like for me to prioritize bringing glory to God through unity with others?

Prayer for Revival and Unity

Heavenly Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, In this acceptable Year of the Lord 5786, we come before You with hearts hungry for revival. We acknowledge that You are continuously present with us, though our awareness of Your presence ebbs and flows. Open our eyes to see You more clearly, our ears to hear Your voice more distinctly, and our hearts to feel Your love more deeply.

Father, we thank You for Your sovereign care over us, for Your perfect plans that cannot be thwarted, and for Your unfailing love that never ceases. Increase our awareness of Your fatherly presence watching over every detail of our lives.

Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your perfect sacrifice, for Your ongoing intercession, and for Your promise to return. Help us to abide in You as branches in the vine, drawing our very life from our connection to You.

Holy Spirit, we thank You for Your indwelling presence, for Your gentle guidance, and for Your empowering grace. Make us increasingly sensitive to Your promptings and responsive to Your leading.

We confess that we have often grieved You through our disunity. We have allowed pride, selfishness, and fear to separate us from one another. We have treasured our differences more than our common bond in Christ. Forgive us, Lord, and heal the divisions among Your people.

Make us truly one, as You are one. Let our unity reflect the perfect harmony of the Trinity. May we be of one heart not only with each other but with You, Father, and Christ Jesus, as the body of Christ with unified purpose.

Use our unity to bring revival—first in our own hearts, then in our families, our churches, our communities, and our world. May all that we do bring glory and honor to You, Father, in this acceptable Year of the Lord. We pray this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.

Closing Thoughts...

Revival is not primarily about emotional experiences or dramatic manifestations, though these may accompany it. At its core, revival is about the restoration of right relationship— with God and with one another. It is about becoming so aware of God's presence that we cannot help but be transformed. It is about being so united in heart and purpose that the world cannot help but take notice.

As we journey through this Year of the Lord 5786 together, may we become a people who seek this true revival—a revival of unity with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and unity with each other, all for the glory and honor of God our Father.