Do you long for a better prayer life? Do you ever find yourself losing focus on what you are praying about? Well, let me share with you five essentials of the prayer life of Christ!
1) Jesus had a time to pray. “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” Mark 1:35. Jesus set aside a time to pray to be in communion and fellowship with His Father. Nothing separated Him from that prayer time. So ask yourself, do you have time to pray?
2 – Jesus had a place to pray. “So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.” Luke 5:16. Whenever possible, Jesus found uninhabited places where He could pray and be free of interruptions and distractions. He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, in the fields, and I’m sure He prayed by the sea of Galilee! Do you have a place to pray?
3 – Jesus prayed out loud. “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’” Matthew 26:39. We can see other examples that Jesus prayed out loud in Matthew 26:42, 44; and in Luke 11:1. When I pray out loud, it helps me to stay focused and not get distracted. And I’ve always remembered that “At the sound of fervent prayer, Satan’s whole host trembles.”[1]
4 – Jesus prayed for people by name. “And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.’” Luke 22:31–32.
There is great power in prayer! A favorite author of mine put it this way: “It is a part of God’s plan to grant us, in answer to the prayer of faith, that which he would not bestow did we not thus ask.”[2] So let’s remember to pray for each other by name.
5 – Jesus often prayed with others. Here’s an example of His instruction to pray with others: “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:18-19. Another example that Jesus prayed with others can be found in Luke 9:28 where the Bible says that he took Peter, John, and James with him to pray up on a mountain. We can comfort one another and be encouraged when we pray with others.
So that’s it! Here are the five essentials of the prayer life of Jesus Christ:
1. He had a time to pray.
2. He had a place to pray.
3. He prayed out loud.
4. He prayed for people by name.
5. He often prayed with others.
Jesus is our example in all things, and we are sure to reap the blessings of praying as He did!
[1] Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, p. 345.
[2] Ellen White, The Great Controversy, p. 525.
