Day 20: That We May All Be One
Intention
To fulfil the prayer of Jesus that we may all be one.
Scripture
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father.”
– John 17:20–21
Reflection
In the late 1990s, the church that I was a member of — St Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Canberra — experienced a tremendous outpouring of the Holy Spirit that impacted the whole city and beyond.
This move of God was facilitated principally by John and Carol Arnott, pastors from Toronto, Canada, and the following year by Pastor Randy Clark — big-hearted revivalists who responded to an invitation from our priest, Father Greg Beath, to come and lead a series of key meetings. These times of heaven on earth ended up involving many denominations from across the city.
During these three years of meetings, many encountered Jesus Christ, there were numerous healings, and a deep unity across the Body of Christ began to emerge. The latter was significant. We experienced the very desire Jesus expressed in John 17:21 — that we may be one. And this happened.
As this unity grew, we saw the blessing of Psalm 133 manifest, where we are promised: “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, down on the collar of his robe.”
Baptists, Catholics, Pentecostals, Anglicans and others joined together during these days, months and years to encounter a fresh outpouring of the Father’s love.
One meeting in particular has stuck in my mind — when John Arnott preached a beautiful message on forgiveness and unity. When John finished preaching, he had a good old-fashioned altar call. Can you believe it — two hundred people came forward to receive Jesus into their lives or make a recommitment! It was amazing.
Yet, it was the unity that undergirded this encounter. The unity of Christ’s Body. It’s a unity that continues today in Canberra. I regularly run into people from across the Body of Christ who speak in wonder at what God did in that season.
As we pray for conversions over these days, let us remember: the greater the unity across the Body of Christ, and the deeper the love within it, the more fruitful our witness will be. If there are judgements, attitudes, or words that have sown disunity, let us bring them before God in repentance.
May we all be one.
Video
Prayer
Father, have mercy on us, because we have sinned against you by dividing the Body of Christ and hence lessening our impact upon the world. Father, go deeply into those areas that separate us, and set us free. Forgive, heal and make us one, so that the world may believe in your Son, Jesus Christ.
Author Bio
Rev. Matt Ransom has been married to his amazing wife Cathy for thirty-five years. He has two children and seven grandchildren. Matt is a married Deacon in the Catholic Church and has engaged in missionary work across Australia, Papua New Guinea and the USA. He is blessed to call a number of Protestant pastors his friends.
Prayer Points for Five4Five 2026
1. Five people to trust in Christ and to share the gospel with those five in May. Matthew 28:19–20
2. Repentance, revival and reformation in Australia and for millions to believe in Jesus Christ. Luke 24:47
3. A Church that grows in extravagant love for God and people. 2 Corinthians 5:14–15
We invite you to support this campaign to multiply prayer in Australia for revival and see millions come to faith in Christ. Every donation to the Canberra Declaration helps us promote prayer and make a stand for family, faith, freedom, life, and the good news of God’s love through Jesus Christ.
Join us for our nightly Zoom prayer call:
DATES: Every night from Sunday, 12 April to Pentecost Sunday, 24 May
TIME: 8 pm (AEST), 7:30 pm (ACST), 6 pm (WA)
ZOOM URL LINK: zoom.us/j/776881184
ZOOM TUTORIAL: youtube.com/watch?v=pAMDxH_H_Cs
View all Five4Five 2026 devotionals
Daily devotions are brought to you by the Canberra Declaration.
___
Image via Adobe.
Recent Articles:
3 August 2026
4.5 MINS
A former witch looking for spiritual answers in all the wrong places, Christopher Wickland has driven off a cliff, been dead for 15 minutes, and encountered Jesus in the woods. The former occultist turned Pentecostal pastor now carries a burning conviction that England needs to reclaim its Christian identity — an he's not afraid to say so.
3 August 2026
5.7 MINS
To understand Neo-Marxism, we first need to understand the realities of Marxism. Not the politically cleaned up propaganda version, but the brutal realities of the lives, and deaths, of those who lived and died under it.
3 August 2026
5.2 MINS
An unholy alliance between secular progressives and Islamists is reshaping the West. But the two movements operate from fundamentally different moral universes — and one is far better equipped to win the long game.
3 August 2026
2.8 MINS
Joel Phillips didn't hand his son a screen — he handed him an opportunity. Now seven-year-old Miles' catchy tune "Eastern Rosellas" has gone viral, proving imagination and dad-time are a powerful combination.
31 July 2026
5.9 MINS
It's been 44 years since Keith Green's death in a tragic plane crash, but “his legacy of love for God and love for the lost still lives on to this day.” His uncompromising cross-shaped Christianity is as relevant today as it was over four decades ago.
31 July 2026
5.8 MINS
The Trump administration has cut $67 million of taxpayer funding for controversial “radical leftist sex ed” programs in favour of solid curriculum that emphasises abstinence and marriage.
30 July 2026
4.7 MINS
Tim Kirk isn't just the chief winemaker at Clonakilla, celebrated as one of Australia’s finest wineries. After a dramatic spiritual encounter filled him with the love of Jesus, he incorporates his faith into all of life and is on a mission to share God with others — and often as a result of his profession.
