In Mark 1:35 we read a most amazing verse. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made time alone with God a top priority. He woke up before dawn and found a place to be by himself to pray to his Father in heaven.
This early morning prayer time was likely a habit for Jesus. He had a relationship of deep intimacy with the Father. He left the glory of heaven to become a man, and had spent eternity past in divine fellowship with the Father and the Spirit. But coming to earth did not prevent him from continuing to commune with God.
A survey of the book of Luke provides much insight into the prayer life of Jesus. Of the four gospels, Luke devotes the most attention to the frequency of Jesus’ prayers in a wide variety of situations.
Jesus prayed while being baptized (Luke 3:21-22)
Only Luke tells us that Jesus was praying at his baptism in the Jordan River. “As he was praying, heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove”. Here we have a beautiful picture of the divine communion of the Trinity – the Son is talking to the Father, the Spirit comes down on the Son, and the Father says to the Son, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased”.
Jesus prayed for long periods of time (Luke 6:12-16)
When faced with an important decision, such as the choosing of his twelve apostles, Jesus spent literally all night in prayer. “Jesus went into the hills to pray, and spent the night praying. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles” (Luke 6:12-13).
Jesus prayed before eating (Luke 9:16, 22:17,19)
Does it really matter whether we stop and give thanks for food before eating? Jesus thought it did. Before feeding the 5,000, Jesus took “the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them”. Likewise, at the last supper, “he gave thanks” for both the bread and the wine.
Jesus prayed with his disciples (Luke 9:28)
As indicated above in Mark 1:35 and Luke 6:12, Jesus spent time alone in prayer. But he also prayed with his disciples. “He took Peter, John and James with him and went onto a mountain to pray”.
Jesus prayed on his knees (Luke 22:41)
We can pray anytime, anywhere, with any posture. But sometimes our need for God is so great, getting down on our faces is appropriate and even necessary. On the night of his betrayal, Jesus spent much time in prayer to prepare for his suffering and crucifixion, and therefore “he knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.'”
Jesus prayed with great passion (Luke 22:44)
Again, Jesus’ prayers in the garden of Gethsemane on the eve of his death reached a level of intensity that is difficult to fathom. “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”
How is your prayer life these days? The gospels present the Son of Man as the Man of Prayer.
Please take time today to examine yourself in light of the prayer life of Jesus. Ask yourself these questions: Do I spend time alone with God in prayer every day? Do I pray throughout the day, even while engaged in life-changing events? Do I spend long periods of time in prayer, especially when facing important decisions? Do I remember to thank God for food before I eat it? Do I regularly pray with and for other believers? Do I pray on my knees when the situation warrants it? Do I pray with passion?
May the example of Jesus motivate us to “pray continually” and to “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
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