The Prayer Life of Christ: An Example To Follow
Martin Luther once noted, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” No one better exemplifies this truth than our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for His communion with His Father far surpasses any this world has ever known.
If Jesus was God incarnate, why did He pray?
While Christ came to earth as “Immanuel… God with us” (Matthew 1:23), He limited Himself to a human body, so He could experience our pain (Hebrews 4:15). Here are several reasons why Jesus prayed.
First, Jesus prayed for His Father’s direction. Luke 6:12-13 records that before choosing his twelve disciples, Jesus “continued all night in prayer to God.” Second, Jesus prayed for the Father’s glory. In John 12:28, He cried out, “Father, glorify thy name.” In every moment, He desired to glorify the Father.
However, the most important reason Jesus prayed was His intimate relationship with His Father. John 17 beautifully highlights this relationship. In His prayers, Jesus called God, “Father,” something Old Testament Jews never did. Jesus loved His father deeply; therefore, He prayed.
What can we learn from Christ’s example of prayer (I Peter 2:21)?
First, we should pray because we love God. True prayer must be so much more than checking through a list. Just as Noah and Enoch “walked with God,” (Genesis 6:9, 5:24) so God desires to commune with each one of us because we are His children. E.M. Bounds states, “Prayer should not be regarded as a duty which must be performed, but rather as a privilege to be enjoyed, a rare delight that is always revealing some new beauty.”
Second, we should pray because God loves us as children and delights in our prayers (John 5:14, Luke 18:1-9, Matthew 7:7-11).
Last, we should pray, because as Martin Luther observed, we cannot function spiritually without prayer. Abraham Lincoln declared, “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.”
Why do you pray? To quote Corrie ten Boom, “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?”
Question: How can we develop a daily habit of prayer in our lives?
3 Comments
Ekklisia · September 27, 2019 at 8:01 pm
That last quote from Corrie ten Boom is really thought provoking. Thanks for sharing!
Ann · September 25, 2019 at 3:34 am
A beautiful post!
Prayer is an essential part of any (practicing) Christian’s life – we find joy, guidance, solace and a firm foundation in our prayer lives. The habit of daily prayer is one of self discipline and correct priorities; it is far easier to learn this habit when we have a good example at home when we are growing up, because then it is as much a part of family life as personal life. Developing this habit as an adult takes time, perseverance and often many failures along the way – more challenging but still possible.
Joshua Bontrager · September 28, 2019 at 1:33 pm
Ann,
Thanks for those thoughts! Prayer is one of the most rewarding habits one can cultivate.