The Prayers of Jesus

As Christians, we want to pattern our lives after the life of Christ. We pray to be more like Him. We sing songs about being more like Him. There is nowhere where we should emulate Christ more than His prayer life.

Christ prayed to His Father for everything. Prayer preceded every great event in His life on earth. He prayed at His baptism (Luke 3:21-22). He prayed on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-29). He prayed all night long before choosing the twelve disciples, whom He deemed apostles (Luke 6:12-16). And of course, He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, the night He was arrested before being crucified (Luke 22:39-44).

We read in Luke 11 that His disciples came to Jesus and said, Lord, teach us to pray. The prayer our Lord taught His disciples is commonly called the “Lord’s Prayer.” 

Many Bible scholars have dissected the Lord’s prayer into its different parts and how we should pray likewise. I will not do that here; there are, however, certain elements which are essential to true prayer.

1. First and foremost is adoration and reverence when we approach the omnipotent God who created the universe and everything in it. We should always approach God with our praise, that His name may be glorified.
2. We cannot expect to have communion with God while there is sin and disobedience in our hearts. 
3. We have to forgive others. If there is bitterness and an unwillingness to forgive those who have wronged us, God will not forgive us, nor will He hear our prayers.
4. We must be truly thankful to God for what He has done for us already. No one wants to help someone who is ungrateful, including God. 
5. There must be faith that God will hear and answer our prayers.
6. When we come before God, we need to be willing to offer direct petitions or requests to God. 
7. Our requests to God must be within the guidelines of His Word, and we must be willing to accept His will. We should desire that His will be done, above our own wants and desires.

One thing that stands out about the prayers of Jesus is that, like the prayer He taught the disciples, His prayers were short when offered in public, but when He was alone, He could spend the whole night in communion with His Father. 

If we look at the Scriptures, we will find that many prayers that got immediate answers were brief, direct, and to the point. 

For example: 

The Canaanite woman, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly” (Matthew 15:22).

The thief on the cross, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42).

When Peter, walking on the water to Jesus, started to sink, “Lord, save me!”(Matthew 14:30).

The tax collector, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13).

Our prayers should be measured, not by their length, but by our fervent faith and belief in the one we are praying to.

Books by Jerry, many of which you may read for free on Prime: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jerry-Blount/author/B06XK4GJT1

1. Things You Probably Didn’t Learn in Church
2. Basic Christianity: Living a Joy-Filled Life and Making a Difference
3. The End Times: Signs and Prophecy
4. Noah and the Great Flood: Proof and Effects
5. Following Jesus and Fishing Along the Way: Stories of God’s Great Outdoors
6. The Rapture: Coming Soon
7. Delighting in the Lord: Enjoying a Close Walk with Jesus