Looking at the prayer life of Jesus, this article shows how in his practice of prayer he was moved by God’s will and glory and thus serves as a model for learning to pray.

Source: Witness, 2011. 3 pages.

The Prayer-Life of Jesus Christ

Christ was in full communion with His Father before He was born, and after His birth as a man He continued this fellowship in a life of prayer. He was, and is, perfect God and perfect man, and thus the supreme example to all His creatures. He prayed because He was a man, a dependent being, made for fellowship with God. His personal sinlessness did not detract from His human sense of dependence upon His Father for everything. We have doubtless only a few instances recorded of our Lord in prayer, much of it being done in secret, as He taught His disciples to do likewise. If He could find no solitude in the house, He would go outside to seek it. Sometimes He did enter into public prayer in the midst of the disciples or so that a crowd might hear something important. He did pray with and for others, but mostly He prayed in private. The Gospel according to Luke, in particular, emphasizes the prayerfulness of Christ. When the Master wanted to be alone in prayer, it was often the precursor of important events. For example; before His Baptism (Lk. 3:21), before the election of the Twelve (Lk. 6:12, 13. — all night in prayer), before the discourse in the synagogue at Capernaum (Mt. 14:23), at any time of crisis or heavy labour (Lk. 5:15,16), before He told His disciples that He must suffer and die (Lk. 9:18-22), before His Transfiguration (Lk. 9:28), as He approached the cross, in Gethsemane (Lk. 22:44). On three occasions there came the voice of the Father from Heaven to Him, a voice which, during His life on earth, attested His Divine mission. It is notable that this voice came to Him at a time of (perhaps in answer to) prayer: at His Baptism, Transfiguration and in the courts of the temple (Jn. 12:28).

Examples of the Lord in Prayer🔗

In Matthew 11:25, 26 the Lord declares that He fully agrees with the Father’s wisdom. His Person and His message were widely rejected, yet He expresses His adoring acquiescence in the Father’s plan, His ‘good pleasure’. In the parallel passage in Luke 10:21 we read that he ‘rejoiced in spirit’, resting in the Divine wisdom which was powerfully erecting His kingdom. ‘Events are God’s, let Him sit at His own helm’, says Spurgeon. In Matthew 14:19 He ‘looked up to heaven’ as He gave thanks for the five loaves and two fish. All the crowd would see that He looked to heaven, to God, in acknowledgement of the provision, and in expectancy of the power for the miracle. Even His manner in prayer pointed men heavenward and the prayer preceded the miracle.

In Matthew 19:13 and Mark 10:16 infants are brought by their mothers to Him for His blessing as High Priest. They saw how important it was to have a place in the intercession of Christ. His prayers as Mediator are essential for our salvation. The disciples were doubtless struck by the manner and matter of our Lord’s prayers and in Luke 11:1 they said, ‘Lord teach us to pray’ — a good prayer for us to imitate! Here was One who, as He prayed, was fully aware of the Divine Presence and conveyed the sense of this Presence to others. Those who lead others in prayer should follow this example. There was always great reverence in Christ’s prayers. There are too many who address God nowadays as if they were addressing an equal and not the blessed God.

In Mark 1:35 the Lord was praying while it was yet night (very early in the morning). He was about to begin His first preaching and healing circuit and, as on similar solemn occasions, He spends time in special prayer, doubtless with a view to this. There is a temptation for preachers to end their preparation for the pulpit when the preparation of the message has ended. ‘After I had prepared my sermon, then I prepared myself’, said that godly preacher Robert Bruce. Even as the Lord directed His disciples to pray for labourers (Mt. 9:37, 38), so in Luke 6:12, 13 we find Him in prolonged prayer with His Father in preparation for the solemn appointment of His twelve disciples. Would that this example were heeded in the calling of a minister, instead of a congregation rushing into it. In John 11:41, Christ gives public thanks for answer to His prayer (when He heard about Lazarus, vv 3, 4), showing to the people His union and constant communion with the Father. The fact that He was ‘heard always’ must often have calmed His soul in times of suffering, e.g. in Gethsemane, and especially on the cross (Mt. 26:53) when He expressed His assurance that He had but to ask for legions of angels and they would come immediately. The importance of prayer and how it honours the One who is prayed to, was made manifest when the Lord whipped the money-changers and dove-sellers out of the place which had been dedicated to the worship of God (Mt. 21:12, 13). The Lord Christ says that the house dedicated to His Father’s worship is not to be a music-hall, theatre, social club or political forum, but a ‘house of prayer’ (Mk. 11:17), Lk. 19:46). It is important to note that our Lord not only prayed before labouring but also after (Mt. 14:23, Mk. 1:35, Lk. 5:16). We thus learn from our Lord’s example that Christian workers should begin and end their labours with prayer, and if we are earnestly seeking blessing, we shall do so. Simply to do what is our duty does not guarantee any automatic blessing. The Lord’s Supper was consecrated in prayer (Mk. 14:22, 23).There is no ex opera operatum here, i.e. the blessing does not come simply as a result of ‘the work performed’ — a Roman Catholic heresy which seems to be adopted by many others. There is prayer because only God can sovereignly impart the blessing, not the priest but the High Priest.

In Gethsemane there was prayer indeed (Heb. 5:7)! Before His arrest the Lord Jesus went there often to pray (Lk. 22:39, Jn.18:2). Now, commencing His final conflict with the powers of darkness, He prepared Himself by prayer (Mt. 26:36-44). As the Lord taught His disciples, ‘Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation’, so He practised what He taught, and prepared Himself. The disciples did not watch and pray, and when the crisis burst upon them they panicked and fled, while He Himself met His enemies calmly and controlled the events. Gurnall draws the lesson for us, ‘The only armour in which temptation can successfully be met is prayer (Eph.6:18); and when the enemy is allowed to come upon us before we have buckled it on, we have not a chance of standing’.

The Word Christ used in Prayer🔗

The word which Christ invariably uses in ‘asking’ in prayer is the Greek word ‘erotao’ (Jn. 14:16; 16:23, 26; 17:9, 15, 20). It signifies that one asks, not as a suppliant, but familiarly as an equal, as king with king (Luke 14:32). His is not the petition of a creature to the Creator, but the request of the Son to the Father. Christ is conscious of His equal dignity with the Father. Martha, on the contrary, plainly reveals her inaccurate conception of His dignity, when she uses an inferior word for ‘ask’ in John 11:22 — the word for ‘ask’ which He never uses in referring to His own prayers. He uses this other word which carries an authority which would be unfitting for us to use. In the ‘High Priestly prayer’ (John 17:24) Christ uses His divine ‘I will...’ to declare His equality with the Father in essential power and glory and this was declared publicly in the ears of the disciples for their comfort and edification. Luther bids us consider, ‘who the Man is that thus prays, who is prayed to and how great a thing is prayed for?’ Perfect feeling is expressed in intense thought. This prayer, because of who utters it, must have the most perfect and exact arrangement in prayer. ‘He prayed thus in testimony of how He would henceforth intercede for and represent them in Heaven’ (R Stier). Note the dignity of the ‘we’ in verse 11.

In the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ (Mt. 6), Christ taught His disciples the priorities in prayer; that it is mainly a private business and that ‘much-speaking’ is to be avoided. It is evident from our Lord’s warnings to the Pharisees that a man may pray much publicly and yet have little or no communion with God, as the Pharisees, whose ‘hearts were far from Him’. They prayed outwardly to God but their desire was to be heard by man. ‘They have (in full) their reward’, said the Lord. Christ sought solitude for sincere, personal prayer to God and teaches His followers to do likewise (Mt. 6:5, 6).

The perfect Man and Son prayed perfectly. His Example and devotion both challenge and humble us, leading us to cry for more grace, ‘for we know not what we should pray for as we ought’ (Rom. 8:26). His life on earth was one of continual communion and intercession with God. Christ died praying, His last words were prayers, (Mt. 27:46; Lk. 23:34, 46). ‘The habit of life was strong in death’. After His resurrection, how did His disciples at first recognise Him? — By prayer, as He blessed the bread and broke it (Lk. 24:30). It might be thought that Christ, being the Son of God, should have less need of prayer because of the special relationship which He enjoyed with the Father. Yet, the contrary is true. He prayed more than any man, because He was closer to God than any man. If, then, we were in closer communion with God, would we not then pray more than we do now? Is it not sin that hinders us? Seeing that we are to be ‘conformed to the image of His Son’ (Rom. 8:29), we do well to study the perfect prayer life of the Son, Christ Jesus.

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