Powerful Prayers and the Prayer Life of Jesus
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How often do you think about Jesus prayer life? Do you ever wish your prayer life looked a little more like His?
As women of faith, knowing how to pray effectively and cultivate a strong prayer life should be one of our biggest priorities. Realistically, it’s also one of our biggest struggles. We wrestle with consistency. We struggle to find the time, the words, and the tools to help nurture this precious gift of communication with God.
Most of us are looking for an example to follow. The good news is, we have one!
What do we know about Jesus and His prayer life?
How did Jesus teach us to pray?
And not just how, but what did Jesus teach us to pray?
We can find answers to these questions in lessons from the prayer life of Jesus. That’s what we’re going to focus on in this article.
What Do We Know About Jesus and His Prayer Life?
The Bible is full of evidence of the prayer life of Jesus. It answers a lot of the questions we have. For example, how many times did Jesus pray in the Bible? There are over 600 accounts of prayer in the Bible. Twenty-five of those accounts are specific to Jesus.
When did Jesus pray? In the Bible we see Jesus praying in the garden and we Jesus praying alone. We can see that He honored the Jewish fasts and prayer hours. There are Bible verses that show us the words Jesus prayed to His father. We’ll talk through these moments of Jesus and his prayer life in a moment.
Jesus prayed in response to temptation, while serving and ministering to others, and so many other occasions. Any time the Spirit led him to pray, He did.
Jesus Praying in the Garden and the Wilderness
From what we can tell in the Bible, Jesus prayed in nature pretty regularly. Not always alone. Many times His disciples were with Him. The most famous account of Jesus praying in the garden takes place just before Jesus was arrested and betrayed by Judas.
Jesus had just finished His last Passover dinner and He and his disciples went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. What intrigues me most about this account isn’t what Jesus prayed, but why He prayed.
Pray that you may not enter into temptation. Luke 22:40
Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Mark 14:38 and Matthew 26:41.
Jesus had a hard task ahead of Him and He knew it. He didn’t want anything to get in the way of the task at hand. He knew He would endure pain and suffering, but He also knew freedom for God’s people was on the other side of that. He refused to give in to temptation. Prayer was the weapon that kept His mind sound and His flesh submitted to God.
Jesus Praying Alone
Praying in solitude was a regular practice for Jesus. It’s a discipline we would all do well to adopt. Here are a couple of times scripture records Jesus going away to pray alone:
- before He began His earthly ministry Jesus went away to the wilderness to fast and pray for forty days (Luke chapter 4).
- When overwhelmed by crowds that would follow Him (see Luke 5:16 and Mark 6:31-32).
- In the early mornings (see Mark 1:35).
- On occasional Sabbath days (see Mark 2:23)
- After hearing John the Baptist was beheaded (see Matthew 14:13).
Jesus prayed all night by Himself on a mountain top in Luke 6:12-13 (see also Mark 3:13). Why did Jesus pray all night? I believe He was praying and listening for God to reveal who He should choose as His 12 apostles. Jesus had a large number of disciples. The numbers grow and grow all through the gospels and increases even more after He goes to heaven. But His core twelve, I believe that’s what He was praying about in Luke 6.
Jesus Prayed to His Father
One of the most powerful prayers Jesus prayed to His father was right before He was betrayed and arrested.
O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Mr unless I drink it, Your will be done. Matthew 26:42
The gospel of Mark records Jesus praying in the garden using these words,
Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will. Mark 14:36
Notice how firm Jesus’ priorities are in these prayers. He knows what’s coming. He knows it’s going to be gruesome. Yet He relents, “not what I want, but what You will.” You’ll see this over and over again when you look at Bible verses of how Jesus prayed to God. These are the types of powerful prayers we should be praying also.
How Did Jesus Teach Us To Pray?
What did Jesus say about praying? If you’re like most people, chances are you’ve stumbled over the question, “how do I pray?” at least once or twice in your life. Don’t worry, you’re in good company. Jesus’ disciples asked Him that same question, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1).
Jesus answered their questions with basic prayer principles and gave them an example which we call, The Lord’s Prayer.
In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Matthew 6:9-13
Here are some prayer principles we learn from examining how Jesus prayed in the Bible.
Humility is better than recognition or praise (based on Matthew 6:5-6).
Few words in a sincere heart are better than elegant or repetitive words said with a prideful heart (based on Matthew 6:7-8).
What God prioritizes in scripture we should prioritize in prayer (based on Matthew 6:10).
Prayer allows God to order our steps, provide for us, and guide us to where He needs us (based on Matthew 6:11 and John 4:34). It’s how we receive from Him.
Prayer is a proactive way to guard our hearts against offense and prepares us to forgive (based on Matthew 6:12).
Prayer is our escape from temptation (based on Matthew 6:13 and 1 Corinthians 10:13).
God needs us humble, He needs us to listen, and He needs us ready to act in agreement with His instructions. Prayer positions us to meet Him where He is and be a part of what He is accomplishing; establishing heaven on earth. That’s why Jesus was devoted to prayer and why a prayer life is so important for you and I.
Do you struggle with praying? This article has tons of practical and biblical tips that answer the question, How do you develop a consistent prayer life?
What Was Jesus Final Prayer?
Powerful Prayers are prayers that prioritize God’s will and align with His words (the Bible). What did Jesus say when He prayed? A lot of times you’ll find He quoted the Bible in His prayers. In the instances He didn’t He always prayed in agreement with what God declared in the Bible. That’s part of how people were able to discern that He was the real deal.
Jesus prayed Scripture-inspired prayers. This truth is expressed perfectly in John chapter 17 when Jesus prays for Himself, his disciples, and all believers.
What was Jesus’ final prayer? Jesus prayed that:
- Through His death and resurrection (the gospel) God would be glorified and people would know God, make Him known, and come to eternal life (see John 17:1-5).
- That God would keep His disciples unified in Him (see John 17:11).
- The disciples would know His joy (see John 17:13).
- God would keep His disciples from the evil one and keep them sanctified (John 17:15-17).
- That the church (followers of Jesus) would be one and He and God are one (see John 17:20).
- That the church would know God’s glory (see John 17:24).
Maybe you’re here wondering how to pray these kinds of prayers; prayers that focus on God’s will instead of our own wants and ambitions. This articles will help you learn one method of how to pray to Jesus step by step.
Prayer to Accept Jesus Into Your Life
One thing I love about how Jesus lived and prayed was that two things were always evident; His love for God and His love for people.
His love for people will forever amaze me because its so much deeper and more enduring that I deserve. Yet, the Bible makes it clear, His love is for me. And its for you too. If you haven’t accepted this love and made Jesus the Lord of your life – and you want to – pray this with me. It’s a simple prayer to accept Jesus into your life.
God, I know what the Bible teaches about Your love. I know it’s the truth. I believe that Jesus is Lord and that He died for my sins and You raised Him from the dead. I want to live my life for you. Forgive me of my past. Create in me a heart that is wholly devoted to you. Help me live well for you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you ever wondered how to do Christians pray for life? That was it. It’s that simple. What’s next? Get to know God and let Him shape your life through Bible study and prayer. We’ve got tons of resources to get you started! We’ll send them your way when you sign up for our email list below. I hope you enjoyed these Lessons From the Prayer Life of Jesus!
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