Prayer…and Jesus

We can learn about the prayer life of the Lord Jesus Christ through the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Jesus is the perfect example for how to live, and His prayer habits provide a template for believers to follow in their own prayer life.

HOW JESUS PRAYED

  • He made prayer a priority and a frequent practice (Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16)
    Matthew 14:23, After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.
    Mark 1:35, In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.
    Luke 5:16, But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.
  • He prayed knowing the Father always heard Him (John 11:41-42)
    John 11:41-42 (at the raising of Lazarus from the dead), So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” (insert added)
  • He often prayed alone (Matthew 14:23)
    Matthew 14:23, After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.
  • He prayed specifically and persistently but always in submission to God and in accordance with the will of the Father (Matthew 26:36-44).
    Matthew 26:36-44, Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” 39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40 And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41 Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.

WHEN JESUS PRAYED

  • He prayed in the beginning, during, and at the close of His ministry (Luke 3:21, 5:16, 23:46)
    Luke 3:21, Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened
    Luke 5:16, But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.
    Luke 23:46, And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” Having said this, He breathed His last.
  • He prayed after ministering all day (Matthew 14:23)
    Matthew 14:23, After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.
  • He prayed before the sun arose after ministering through the previous evening (Mark 1:32-35)
    Mark 1:32-35, When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. 33 And the whole city had gathered at the door. 34 And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.35 In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.
  • He sometimes prayed all night (Luke 6:12)
    Luke 6:12, It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.
  • He prayed for others in the midst of His own suffering (Luke 23:34)
    Luke 23:34 (at His crucifixion), But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. (insert added)
  • He prayed before making major decisions (Luke 6:12-13)
    Luke 6:12-13, It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles.

WHAT JESUS PRAYED AND WHAT HE TAUGHT ABOUT PRAYER

  • He taught His disciples the basics of prayer (Luke 11:1-4)
    Luke 11:1-4, It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” 2 And He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’ “
  • He prayed for the strengthening of others (Luke 22:32)
    Luke 22:32 (Jesus to Peter), “but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (insert added)
  • He prayed for His disciples and for the disciples who were to follow (John 17:20)
    John 17:20, I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word.
  • He prayed for God’s forgiveness of those who were His enemies (Luke 23:34)
    Luke 23:34, But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.

JESUS’ HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER (JOHN CHAPTER 17)

Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, 2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; 8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9 I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; 10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are12 While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

The Disciples in the World

13 But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

Their Future Glory

22 The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

25 “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; 26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

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Material in this study is primarily adapted from Self-Confrontation, a 480 page discipleship manual produced by the Biblical Counseling Foundation (http://www.bcfministries.org).
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Prayer . . . and Jesus © 2015 WordTruth, Inc—http://www.wordtruth.net All Scriptures are from the New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.