Some public prayer is easy. Doing church together. Saying grace.

Some is a bit more challenging. Like offering a prayer before a public meeting.

What Jesus does several times in the gospel of John is pray in public for the benefit of his disciples. Not like he’s thanking God after scoring a touchdown or gathering players at the 50 yard line.

He’s revealing something about the relationship between three parts of a triangle: Jesus, God, and disciples. How we interlock. With God, Jesus, each other. How they interlock. That we ask for grace even when it is promised. Hope when we’re assured of it. Life when we are living it.

We aren’t supposed to set up times to imitate him. We’re supposed to see him. And sometimes we’re seen doing the same.