John 17:20

John 17:20 says, Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also who shall believe on Me through their word.  The disciples were to reach out to the world with the message of Christ, and Jesus Himself was praying for their success.  Jesus wanted them to be successful, not in material things, but in proclaiming Him to the world.  In this verse, He included us.  We believe because the disciples were successful in reaching the world with the message of Christ.  This verse also includes the ones we reach.  We need to question daily how effective we are in reaching the lost.  Jesus prayed for them, but He also prayed for the disciples and us to reach them.  Verse twenty-one adds, 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.  Jesus prayed that the disciples then, and the ones to come, would be as united as the Father and the Son, and though not mentioned here, and the Holy Spirit are.  I think too often we put qualifiers in front of Christian.  We see the world more from a materialistic view, dividing Christians by nationality.  Often, we seem to feel no real unity with Christians around the world but see them as somehow less deserving of the things of this world than we are.  I have heard religious leaders, when speaking of Christians in the rest of the world say, "That is good enough for them."  This statement implies that we as followers of Christ should expect more than others around the world.  This is not the unity Jesus prayed for.  Even closer to home, we often do not want to be united with other Christians because of race or social standing.  We may occasionally get together with them at church for special occasions, but on a daily basis, we want to be separated from them.  We may occasionally do something to help them materially, as long as it doesn't cost us too much, but on a daily basis, they are on their own.  This is not unity in Christ.  We have to reach out to the lost, yes, but we also need to reach out to other Christians on a daily basis, so that the world may see Jesus in us.  As long as Christians do not embrace one another everywhere in the love of Christ, the world is not going to be reached.