From the desk of Steve Shultz:
This entire article is about the power and the blessing of unity. But even beyond simple unity is what happens when we reach the kind of unity – the sacrificial kind of unity – where God has bound Himself to speak in one unique way.
When God speaks in this way, the Bible calls it a COMMAND! But what does He COMMAND?
Read and Enjoy.
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Tiffany Ann Lewis:
I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one... John 17:20-22
I don't know about you, but I am completely blown away that the One who put death in its place by rising from the grave, reversed the curse through His atonement, and is ever living to make intercession for the saints is praying for unity amongst His people! Wow, talking about praying, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven."
We don't have to guess what God's will is on this matter because Jesus spells it out for us. His will is that His Body, His Church, would be one. This is literally a prayer that we can agree with and experience God's will being done on earth just as it is in Heaven. However, I believe it's going to take more than just prayer. Let me explain.
The Greek word used in our key text above for "one" is heis (Strong's #1520). Heis stands for the cardinal number 1, yet it is also used metaphorically to mean union and accord. The unity between Jesus and His Father was revealed to us as a singleness of purpose that was mixed with determination, which ultimately led Jesus to the Cross.
Spiritually speaking, the equivalent Hebrew word reveals that sacrifice is necessary to have the oneness that Jesus is praying for and the blessing it will bring. This is because every Hebrew letter has a pictograph; therefore, these letters paint a type of spiritual picture of the word they spell.
The Hebrew counterpart to the Greek word used for "one" is echad (Strong's #259). Echad is spelled with the three Hebrew letters: aleph – chet – dalet.
Aleph – is the picture of a strong ox and represents a sacrifice. You can't have unity of purpose and oneness of heart without sacrificing your will for His will. To walk in tandem for the glory of God, there can be no pulling or struggling against the other.
Chet – is a symbol of a fence, something which separates and protects. Unity is destined to surround and protect us. It visually separates us from the world. We should look different, after all; then others will know we are His because of our love for one another.
Dalet – is a symbol of a door, a passage way. Yes unity comes with a cost, but it will give us access to God's commanded blessing.
The Blessing of Unity
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing – life forevermore. Psalm 133
I always thought it was odd to say it that way. Commanded blessing is not very poetic. Why not say something like "the blessings of God will fall down like dew upon you." "They will saturate and satisfy you forever." Now that's poetic! Yet as I meditated on this psalm, I saw something stunning. I saw the God who created calm out of chaos with just the utterance of His voice commanding a blessing in the lives of those who are in unity. Not only speaking a blessing – commanding it! Imagine God commanding a blessing over you, pronouncing peace and prosperity as a result of unity. What can stand against God's command? Nothing.
To be clear, the Hebrew word used for "unity," here in Psalm 133, and the word we just looked at for "one" are different words; nevertheless, they share the same goal. In fact, it's interesting to note that there is only one letter that differentiates between the two words. The letter is the yud. The Hebrew letter yud is a picture of a hand, symbolizing power and strength. There are many times that sacrificing your will for the sake of unity will take all the strength you possess, but it will bring the oneness Jesus passionately prays for.
The Power of Unity
Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in Heaven. Matthew 18:19
We see this fulfilled over and over again in the Book of Acts as the new Church was in "one accord." The phrase one accord is a unique Greek phrase found 10 times in the Book of Acts. It helps us to understand the uniqueness of the Body of Believers. It means: with one mind, with one accord, with one passion.
There is power in unity, and it starts with us. May we endeavor "to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3). May we join in the intercession of Jesus by setting set our mind and sacrificing our will to walk in unity, bringing glory to His great name. It will bring the oneness on earth that Jesus is in Heaven praying for and it will produce God's commanded blessing.
Amen and amen.
Tiffany Ann Lewis
Dancing With the Flame of the Lord Ministries
Email: tiffanyann@tiffanyannlewis.com
Website: tiffanyannlewis.com
Tiffany Ann Lewis is a prophetic worship leader and Bible teacher with a unique focus on Biblical Hebrew, and whose heart has been passionately awakened by a God who sees us in our shortcomings, loves us in spite of it all, and calls out to us so we can live (Ezekiel 16). Her vision is to create an atmosphere in worship where we can meet with God face to face, where the Spirit of God moves freely, releasing emotional, spiritual and physical healing, and igniting a passion for our Heavenly Bridegroom, Jesus. Tiffany Ann has been ministering for over 10 years in prophetic worship throughout the Body of Christ. She worships with her family at Northway Church in Malta, New York, where she serves on the worship team.
