Jesus' Example of Prayer
I like biographies. I learn about history through the lens of a person’s life.
Scripture does not give us much information about people. A few personalities have a fair bit of coverage… Abraham, David, Daniel, Paul. But what we have is bare bones… facts, snippets of dialogue, what was said, record of key actions taken. The scriptures don’t often delve into the motives, emotions of persons and personalities... ex. Why is this incident recorded and many others not?
But we can often look at the actions or events, consider the context, and use our understanding to figure out what is going on.
The life of Jesus Christ is also like that. We know more about Him than any personality in scripture… we are given brief glimpses into the motivations, emotions of His life. But many times we have to read the report we have and try to connect the dots ourselves. For example: why would He say what He said before He did what He did?
We'll use Luke's record [Luke & Acts for Jesus' followers]. Jesus is found in prayer before new developments or crises arise, when decisions need to be made etc.… suggesting that prayer is a preparation for what is to take place next... seeking guidance from God.
James 1:5 You are told that if you lack wisdom [i.e. you don’t know what to do] you should ask God who is very willing [glad] to give you what you are seeking. The context appears to be facing a trying situation... what does this mean? Why am I going through this? Help me understand.
Why Would Jesus Seek Wisdom?
We often fall into the trap of thinking of Jesus as coming out of His mother’s womb… fully formed… at least spiritually… as if there were nothing He did not already know or would learn. But one of the first comments made about Him while He was still a boy is that Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man Luke 2:52
Examples of Jesus’ praying [not the content - but the occasion]
Luke 3:21 – While in prayer the H.S. comes upon Jesus and the Father makes a formal acknowledgment that Jesus is His Son… also, a new phase of Jesus life begins: His ministry.
This is our first example of important revelations [instructions] coming during the activity of prayer. These revelations were also a preparation for what lay ahead.
Luke 5:16 – Jesus was gathering fame. You or I would probably respond to this by thinking we were HOT STUFF and therefore we should start calling the shots rather than seeking God's help in humble prayer. However, Jesus was committed to prayer and seeking the will of the Father. He would withdraw from the adoring crowds and seek God.
Luke 6:12-13 – once more we do not know the content of Jesus’ prayer. But the context and circumstances indicate that He was praying about a very important decision… who would He select and train for the future role of apostle. Who would follow Him and continue the preaching etc. Is it is far fetched to conclude that He sought wisdom [what is your will, what should I do here?].
Luke 9:18-20 – another important unfolding of understanding from comes on an occasion of prayer [praying together?]. The reality of who and what Jesus’ was is confirmed to the chosen disciples.
Luke 9:29-31now a further and more intense revealing of the divine person and purpose of Jesus the messiah. Note that “as Jesus was praying” this vision and supernatural experience happened. Surely it was a further revelation to the three disciples… but read carefully and you will see that the 2 men [Moses and Elijah representing the law and the prophets] were speaking to Jesus about His coming death [exodos/departure] which would take place in Jerusalem.
You could interpret this event as also being for Jesus’ benefit. He was fully human and did not relish the idea of death. Here He is given a preview of the resurrection and glory that would follow His death. This discussion could also have been a more complete disclosure of the Father's will given to Jesus regarding His sacrificial death.
Remember Jesus was fully human and that He grew in understanding as time moved on.
Luke 22:39-46 one of the few instances where know some of the content of Jesus’ prayer. He seeks the will of God… He already knew what God wanted Him to do… Now Jesus asks for the courage to do what God had asked. And He was given the strength… from God… to see it through.
The context is obvious. He was preparing for the arrest and crucifixion which would happen within a matter of hours.
Examples of Apostles praying [context not content]
What good for Jesus is also good for us...
Acts 10:2-6, 9-20 God announced to Peter His intention to offer reconciliation unto eternal life directly to the non-Israelite peoples. Once again we see an important revelation during the activity of prayer.
Acts 9:7-12 After he was struck down and made blind Paul was praying. I think it is highly likely he was praying about what God wanted him to do. He was seeking to find out what God’s will for him was. Acts 22:17-21.
The Prayers of Daniel
Daniel 9:20-23 – insight and understanding given to Daniel in the context of prayer.
Daniel 10:10-12 – he earnestly sought to understand... and God answered him
There are many other ways to explore prayer... seeking His blessing, asking for healing, blessings and help for others, thanksgiving, prayer for the church, the leadership, that we avoid temptation, etc. Given time we will get around to discussing these. But for now...
Prayer is our opportunity to ask God questions and seek His answers. We may want to know how to face a trial. We may want to know what to do in a situation or when faced with a decision [signs are possible but we are most likely to get the answer through His written word]. We may seek to understand a section of scripture.
God promises to answer... if we are willing to ask.
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