Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Each year, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity invites us to pause, pray, and listen—to God and to one another. It reminds us that unity is not something we create by our own effort alone, but a gift that flows from the heart of God. Jesus’ prayer “that they may all be one” challenges us to look honestly at our divisions while trusting deeply in the Spirit’s power to heal them.
Christian unity does not mean uniformity. Our different traditions, expressions of worship, and theological emphases are part of the richness of the Body of Christ. Yet these differences are meant to complement one another, not divide us. When separation becomes hostility, indifference, or misunderstanding, the Gospel’s witness is weakened. Unity, on the other hand, becomes a living testimony of God’s reconciling love in a broken world.
This week calls us to conversion of heart. We are invited to repent of pride, prejudice, and fear—attitudes that build walls instead of bridges. Unity begins when we choose humility, when we dare to listen before judging, and when we recognize Christ in one another, even across denominational lines.
As we pray together, we remember that unity grows through shared prayer, shared service, and shared hope. When Christians stand together in love—especially in caring for the poor, the suffering, and the forgotten—we proclaim more powerfully than words that Christ is alive among us.
May this Week of Prayer renew our commitment to walk together as brothers and sisters in Christ. May the Holy Spirit lead us from division to communion, from suspicion to trust, and from separation to the unity God desires for the Church and for the world.
Prayer for Christian Unity
Loving and merciful God, you are the source of all communion and peace. We thank you for calling us into the one Body of Christ, and for the many gifts present in the different Christian traditions.
Forgive us, Lord, for the times we have allowed fear, pride, or misunderstanding to divide us. Heal the wounds of separation within your Church and soften our hearts to recognize one another as sisters and brothers in Christ. Send upon us your Holy Spirit, that we may grow in humility, patience, and love.
Teach us to listen deeply, to walk together in faith, and to work side by side in service of your Kingdom. May our shared prayer draw us closer to you and to one another, so that the world may believe in the reconciling power of your love.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Leonora Wassell – CoChair
Photo by Diego Céspedes Cabrera on Unsplash
