DID JESUS PRAY?

 

                                                                     DID JESUS PRAY?

What is prayer to you?  Is it something that comes naturally to you?  Is it a set of prayers that you pray?  Many say that prayer is simply talking to God.  Did Jesus pray?  It seems kind of strange for Jesus to pray because He is God and man but I think that He showed us how to pray by praying to His Father in heaven.  The Our Father, the Lord’s Prayer is a perfect example.  The apostles asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.

 Matthew 6:9-13 New International Version (NIV) ⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.For yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.

Today I will concentrate on how and what Jesus prayed.  I will talk about some instances of Jesus’ prayers documented in the Bible.

I find it interesting that Jesus used the word, “our” to begin the example of how we should pray and continued using collective words.  Could it be that He wanted to emphasize that we are all one in Him? I believe that He wanted to show unity, that we are all made in God’s image.   I believe that this refers to the Body of Christ.

Corporate prayer is so important.  Jesus emphasized this in the Our Father.  We are all linked together in Him because we are His creation and His masterpiece. We are His voice.  Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is within you.  I believe God’s Kingdom came down when Jesus came down from heaven. 

Jesus not only showed us how to pray but He, Himself prayed.  There are many, many, scriptures that indicate this.  Jesus, Who truly is God in the flesh, did have the temptations of the flesh that we all endure.  He was tempted by the devil at the end of his 40 days of fasting and Jesus rebuked Him with the Word of God.  This was not the only time that He was tempted because it says that the devil left and waited for another opportune time to tempt Him.

Jesus set a special time for prayer.

³⁵ Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. ³⁶ Simon and his companions went to look for him, Mark 1:35-36

¹⁶ But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.  Luke 5:16

² One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. ¹³ When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated as apostles.  Luke 6:12-13

Jesus gave thanks.

¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.  John 6:11

Jesus healed the deaf mute.

⁴ He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). ³⁵ At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Mark 7:34-35

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”  John 11:41-42

Jesus said to have faith to receive and to forgive.

²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ²⁵ And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”  Matthew 11:24-25

Jesus cried out in anguish and interceded to be given strength to endure.

⁴⁴ And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Luke 22:44

Jesus interceded for us for protection from the evil one.

¹⁴ I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. ¹⁵ My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.  John 17:14-16

Jesus prayed to the Father for unity within the Body of Christ.

Jesus interceded for us: ²⁰ “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  John 17:20-21 (NIV all Bible verses)

There are many more scriptures about Jesus praying. These are a few.  The important thing to remember is that if Jesus, the Son of the Living God, prayed, how much more should we pray.  He has set the example for all of us.  Jesus always points to the Father. 

Our words are so important.  Jesus is the Word.  He shows us how to pray in His Word.  This is one in a series of teachings about prayer.

“‘“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
²⁵ the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”’  Numbers 6:24-26