The Prayers of Jesus (Part 1): Practice

Text: Luke 11:1

In our text, Jesus’ disciples asked Him to “teach [them] to pray.” In the context, Jesus went on to give them a model prayer – “the Lord’s Prayer.” However, there is another way that Jesus teaches about prayer – through His example. In this lesson, we will see what we can learn about Jesus’ practice of prayer.

Jesus Took Time to Pray

Our lives can be very busy – it can be hard to find time for things we know are important (like prayer)
Jesus prayed often (Luke 5:16)
Jesus also prayed at length in one setting (Luke 6:12)
We are to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) – it must be a regular habit; therefore, we must take time for it (cf. Ephesians 5:16)

Jesus Was Deliberate in Prayer

Even if we pray regularly, we may sometimes be unfocused, aimless, or mechanical
Jesus prayed the same thing three times (Matthew 26:44) – not vain repetition (Matthew 6:7); He was sincere and earnest
Jesus was intensely focused when He prayed (Luke 22:44)
Jesus prayed “alone” even when “the disciples were with Him” (Luke 9:18) – not distracted by His surroundings
We are to pray with our minds (1 Corinthians 14:15) – be thoughtful in prayer

Jesus Found Quiet Places to Pray

While it is possible to pray “alone” even in a crowd (Luke 9:18), there is an advantage to praying in a quiet place
Jesus regularly did this (Matthew 14:32; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16)
While there is a place for public prayer, most of our prayers ought to be private (Matthew 6:6) – we can approach God through Christ (Hebrews 4:16; 1 Timothy 2:5, 8); we need to take advantage of this

Jesus Prayed During Times of Grief

When we face difficult times, we need to turn to God in prayer
This is what Jesus did (Matthew 26:36-44) – facing His hardest challenge (the cross), He faced it in prayer
When we are suffering, we are to pray (James 5:13) – context is about physical sickness, but the principle applies more broadly; through prayer our anxieties can be turned to peace (Philippians 4:6-7)

Jesus Prayed Prior to Spiritual Labor

Before engaging in some spiritual activity, it is good to first pray to God
Jesus took time to pray prior to preaching (Mark 1:35-39) and before selecting the apostles (Luke 6:12-13) – He always spoke the things from the Father and was one with Him (John 8:28; 10:30); but this helped set an example for us
Paul requested prayers for him and his preaching (Ephesians 6:19) – this is good for us; when we pray in this way, we are reminded of our responsibility to God (2 Thessalonians 1:11) and of our dependence upon Him (Matthew 6:11-13)

Conclusion