Jesus Praying

Jesus Praying – Where did He pray?
One of the most mysterious and intriguing aspects of Jesus is the way He prayed. We only have snippets of His prayers written in the gospels.

It’s noted that He sometimes prayed all night long. In the garden of Gethsemane, the Bible states that He sweated blood, so great was His conversation with His Father.

His last authored prayer is the infamous ‘Not my will, but Yours’ be done.” These words of total submission to what abuse lay ahead are in sharp contrast to our human tendencies to avoid confrontation and death.

It’s not recorded that Jesus ever prayed in public. He taught His followers not to use their spirituality to call attention to themselves as the priests of that time were known to do.

He prayed in private. He specifically withdrew to a solitary place to avoid being distracted by others. We can follow His example by designating a quiet space for ourselves and schedule it at a time that we are less apt to be bothered by family, friends, and other distractions. Maintaining a focus on God is the main idea, so that we can hear Him speak to us in return.

The Bible teaches us that we should be in an ‘attitude’ of prayer at all times. One of the coolest things about prayer is that we can pray while we are at work, in the home, or at our jobs. We can even pray while we are driving down the road. An attitude of prayer means that we are very much aware of the presence of God and that He is always listening.

“A fervent effective prayer avails much” (James 5:16) means that the most urgent smallest sentences are received with the same power as a prayer that is lengthy. “I believe” has the power to change your life.

Jesus Praying - How did He pray?
When His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, He told them what is called “The Lord’s Prayer.” The prayer taught them to honor God, seek His perfect will for their lives, to petition for their needs, expect His supply and to offer themselves in service.

A neat way to remember to include these things in your prayer is to think of the word P.R.A.Y., which stands for Praise, Rejoice, Ask, and Yield. This is a great foundation point to build your own prayers.

Jesus Praying – What can we learn?
Prayer is a two-way street. Our Father in heaven yearns to communicate with us. We have been given this wonderful opportunity to have a two-way conversation with our Creator. He already knows our hearts and thoughts, but to express them to Him releases our burdens and desires.

When we confide in God, He makes His answers known to us. We aren’t just praying to hear ourselves think or talk. Prayer builds the relationship we have with Him. Prayer builds our faith.

God responds to our faith, not our need. Prayer is the action that releases our faith. We, too, can pray like Jesus.