Introduction
Jesus prayed! Even though He was the Son of God, Jesus prayed while He
was on earth. This is amazing because it tells us of our deep need of
prayer. If even the Son of God needed to pray, how much more do we stand
in need of prayer!
The First Step
The beginning of Jesus' ministry on earth was begun with prayer. As
Jesus was baptized marking the beginning of His ministry He prayed. And
as He was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on
Him in a bodily form like a dove (Ref. Luke 3:21,22).
We too have significant beginnings in life. But do we pray then? Jesus
thought it important to begin His public ministry with prayer. We too
need to follow His example. Let us not move out to take important steps
in life without prayer. But first let us seek God's guidance and grace
and strength in prayer. Then with His blessing resting upon us let us
take the first steps during significant beginnings in our lives. Such
praying is crucial for success during important turning points in our
lives.
We do not know what Jesus might have prayed for at the beginning of His
public ministry. But He must have certainly prayed for strength by the
anointing of the Holy Spirit. And God anointed Jesus Christ with the
Holy Spirit. If Jesus needed the anointing of the Holy Spirit before He
ministered to people to meet their needs how much more do we need this
blessed anointing! And the surest way to receive this blessing is to
pray and ask God for it.
Alone with God
During many times in His life, Jesus withdrew from His disciples and the
crowds to be alone to pray. He often went up on a mountainside or went
to solitary or lonely places to pray. Sometimes He even went to pray
very early in the morning, while it was still dark (Ref. Matthew 14:23,
Mark 1:35, 6:46, Luke 5:16).
These habits of Jesus teach us some important truths about prayer.
Though we may pray while in a group or in a prayer meeting, there is a
great need to get alone to pray. For this, if necessary, we need to find
a place within our home or elsewhere, where we will be free from
disturbance. We need to get away from people too. Though the company of
believers is helpful for fellowship, for some intense moments of prayer,
one needs to be alone. That is why Jesus got up early and also went to
solitary places to pray.
It is in such undisturbed quietness (Ref. Psalm 23:2) that our souls
will be ready for sweet communion with God our Father. For often God
does not shout His messages to us, but gently whispers them to us (Ref. 1
Kings 19:12). And God will speak thus only to those who have shut down
every other sound and every other presence to hear the voice of God.
The Night Watch
But at times, being in quiet and solitary places alone is not enough. We
need to spend more time with God in prayer. This is evident from the
way Jesus went about His task of choosing the twelve apostles. Jesus
spent a whole night on a mountainside in prayer before He chose the
twelve apostles (Ref. Luke 6:12). It is very clear from this that Jesus
attached such great importance to prayer. Jesus had to take the decision
the next day. This was very important because the apostles were to be
with Him for the rest of His public ministry. It was to them that He
would teach the truths of the kingdom of God. They were the ones who
would later take the gospel to different parts of the earth after His
death and resurrection. They were again destined to be the pillars of
His Church. So the decision of that day was of great importance.
Let us follow His example. Let us spend more time in prayer when we have
to take great decisions in life¾especially when decisions relate to
matters like higher education, employment and marriage, let us seek
God's face more earnestly. God will then guide us in our decisions that
we may not need to regret later in life. He will then cause the
blessings to shower on the course of action we take. It is thus of great
importance to spend more time in prayer before taking important
decisions in life.
Praying for Others
Jesus prayed for others too. That is why people came to Jesus with their
little children that Jesus might place His hands on them and pray for
them (Ref. Matthew 19:13). Again, Jesus, towards the end of His life
informed Peter that Satan had asked to sift him as wheat. But Jesus
added that He had prayed for him that his faith might not fail (Ref.
Luke 22:32).
Later Jesus prayed specially for all His disciples. Not only that, He
prayed for all who were to believe in Him (Ref. John 17). That includes
you and me too. This reveals Jesus' great love towards us. And it
teaches us that if love is absent, then we cannot pray meaningfully for
others. Jesus' prayer for others came as a result of His overflowing
love for them. Let us also seek to follow His example.
Prayer Attracts
Then there was an unmistaken quality about Jesus' prayer life. There was
a beauty and simplicity and majesty about it that attracted people. No
wonder it was when Jesus had finished praying while at a certain place
that a disciple came forward and asked Him to teach them to pray (Ref.
Luke 11:1). Something in Jesus' prayer life had influenced them. The
result was that Jesus taught them how to pray.
Prayer should attract people. But unfortunately in our Christian world
there are many who make a show of prayer. Sometimes people preach in
prayer and make it very lengthy. Some others make it an occasion of
shouting as if God would honor the prayer for its loudness. Many prayers
are so dry and empty of compassion that it fails to move the heart of
God. We should learn that real prayer has the power to attract. It has a
godly quality about it that makes others want to learn to pray too.
Jesus' prayer life had this quality and let us seek to learn and imitate
Him in prayer.
Teaching Moments
Jesus' prayer life also helped the disciples to learn significant
lessons of the kingdom of heaven. It was while Jesus was praying at one
time and the disciples were with Him that Jesus chose as the moment of
revelation. It was this point of time that Jesus chose to ask His
disciples the question, “Who do the crowds say I am?” Certainly, some
aspect of Jesus' sweet communion with His Heavenly Father must have
influenced Peter to say that Jesus was “The Christ of God” in response
to Jesus' question “Who do you say I am?” (Ref. Luke 9: 18-20).
Confidence in Prayer
Jesus' prayer life had another amazing aspect to it. It is that Jesus
not even for a moment doubted the fact that God always heard Him. At the
tomb of Lazarus Jesus looked up and thanked God the Father for hearing
Him. Jesus added that He knew God always heard Him but that He had
spoken thus for the benefit of the listeners that they may believe that
God had sent Him. It was only after thanking God that Jesus commanded
Lazarus to come out of the tomb (Ref. John 11:41-43). This same
confidence is seen when Jesus gave thanks by looking up to heaven before
He fed the five thousand and four thousand people respectively (Ref.
Matthew 14:19, 15:36, Mark 6:41, 8:6, Luke 9:16, John 6:11).
We have to learn to have such confidence in our praying. We should know
that no prayer prayed in Jesus' name, no request made in Jesus' name, no
praise rendered in Jesus' name, is lost. It is all heard by God. And we
have to have the confidence that God will answer it appropriately for
our highest good. Jesus' confidence in prayer is something we must learn
to imitate.
Obedience in Prayer
Jesus prayed during His greatest Hour of need. When the time came for
Him to bear the sins of the world upon the Cross of Calvary, Jesus was
in agony. We find Him moving to the Garden of Gethsemane and pouring out
His soul in prayer. Here we find the great obedience of Jesus in
prayer. He knew that God the Father could remove the cup of suffering.
He stated that fact in prayer. But He also went further by praying for
God's will to be done. Jesus did not want His will to be done. Perfect
Obedience! Unquestioning submission! This kind of prayer is the most
difficult kind of prayer. Yet Jesus prayed this at His moment of
greatest agony (Ref. Matthew 26: 36-46 and Mark 14:32-42).
There is a great lesson to be learnt here. Nothing pleases God more in
prayer than to see us pray for His will to be done. That is why in the
prayer Jesus taught it is said, “Your will be done.” (Ref. Matthew
6:10).
The Goal of Prayer
Another important aspect--the goal of prayer--is revealed in the prayer
of Jesus found in John 17. Here Jesus is praying that He may be
glorified. Jesus states that He had brought glory on earth to God by
completing the work God gave Him to do. So Jesus prays that the glory,
which He had with God before the world began, may be restored.
Our lives should be such that it should glorify God. Our work and deeds
should be aimed to glorify God. Therefore when we pray; we should pray
for that answer to prayer, which will bring glory to God.
Prayer is Warfare!
Finally, the writer of Hebrews turns the spotlight on one aspect of
Jesus' prayer life that is not highlighted in the gospels: “During the
days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with
loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he
was heard because of his reverent submission” (Hebrews 5:7 NIV).
Much of this remains a mystery. Yet it teaches us that prayer is not
always filled with sweet language and fine expressions. Many times
prayer turns out to be a battle. It is a valley of tears and struggle.
The soul has to cry out to God. But one can have the assurance that God
hears it all and answers them all. Therefore let us continue to pray.
Recommended article for futher reading: If This is Prayer, I will Pray
