JESUS-THE MAN OF PRAYER

“And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.”

(Matt. 14:3)

I used to think, when younger, that in my latter years I would like to teach novice preachers in a Bible institute somewhere. The subject matter would have been the Life of Christ. Although this never came to fruition, I have just begun a personal study on the Person of Christ. At the very outset of these studies I am struck by the fact that His entire life could be summarized as a life of prayer; The Man Christ Jesus was preeminently a man of prayer. If He then—who knew no sin—prayed, how much more should we— who know nothing but sin— pray?

We think erroneously that our Lord’s humanity was sustained by His divine nature. But a few examples show this not to be: His Divine nature did not help in His anguish in Gethsemane; His suffering hunger, thirst, and weariness was not aided supernaturally; and the pain of Calvary was not lessened by Him being God in the flesh. We are told, “He was crucified through weakness.” (2 Cor. 13:4); that is, the weakness of the flesh. (Mk. 14:38) He was, like the weakest of His followers, dependent upon God for everything. He used the medium of prayer to achieve these things.

Oswald Sanders shows from Luke’s gospel that there were nine occasions when Jesus prayed: at His baptism, 3;21; after a day of miracles, 5:15-16; before choosing the twelve, 6:12; before the first prediction of His death, 9:18; on the Mount of Transfiguration, 9:29; before teaching the disciples to pray, 11:1; when the seventy returned, 10:21; in the garden of Gethsemane, 39-46; and on the cross, 23:34,46. He prayed in the mornings and in the evenings. He prayed before great achievements as well as after. He prayed in life and He prayed in death!

Of all His characteristics, the one it seems that impressed His disciples most was His prayer life. They did not ask Him to teach them to preach, teach, or heal but, “LORD TEACH US TO PRAY.” 

My prayer is, “Oh, dear God, forgive me my wicked sin of prayerlessness. And please, Lord, work in me a divine desire to pray! I beg you, grant this for Jesus’ sake!

An Old Disciple