What and who do you pray for? When my children were little, I taught them the typical bedtime prayer (click here to see me praying with my two-year-old son in 2012). Following the prayer, we would list all the people and things we were thankful for. So, what would Jesus pray for? The Gospel of John records Jesus praying, “I’m not praying only for them but also for those who believe in me because of their word. I pray they will be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. I pray that they also will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. I’ve given them the glory that you gave me so that they can be one just as we are one” (John 17:20-22).

Jesus didn’t pray just for his immediate disciples, but also for those who would believe in him because of their word. That means Jesus prayed for us! Jesus prayed for generations of people who would place their faith in him. His prayer for them, and for us, is that we would be unified so that the world around us would know the love and grace of God. Many people have a hard time fully embracing the unique and unparalleled message of the gospel in Jesus Christ – through no effort or merit of our own we are loved by God.