A Prayer about Those Who Turn Away from Jesus

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

John 6:66

Heavenly Father,

This must be one of the saddest verses in all of Scripture. 

Not too long before this, 

Jesus had fed well over five thousand people 

with five loaves of bread and two fish (John 6:1-16). 

The next day, the crowd of people sought out Jesus, 

wanting them to feed them again, 

but he pointed out their true and desperate need for living bread: 

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. 

If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (John 6:51). 

Many of the more religious people were confused and disgruntled 

by Jesus’ words—

they were hungry and thirsty 

and just wanted Jesus to do more miracles. 

Sadly, they missed what we sometimes miss—

our deepest need is spiritual. 

We seek things of this earth 

to fill our hunger, our thirst, 

and yet, what we really need 

is what Jesus has already given: 

his blood shed for us, 

his body broken for us, 

and the new life that comes 

from dining on the bread of life (John 6:53-54). 

Father, we know that those who are truly in Christ 

will never turn away from him. 

For those who have turned away from Christ, 

we pray that by your Spirit, 

they will be drawn to return, 

to trust Christ alone 

to fill their hunger and thirst. 

In Jesus’ saving name. Amen.

Read John 6:22-71.