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He had made the planets and shaped the stars, yet he prayed. He is the Lord of angels and Commander of heavenly hosts, yet he prayed. He is coequal with God, the exact representation of the Holy One, and yet he devoted himself to prayer. He prayed in the desert, cemetery, and garden.

(Max Lucado, Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer)

I read the above quote a few weeks ago and have not stopped thinking about it since. Jesus had an active prayer life.

He was omniscient, all-powerful, sovereign, Creator of everything, and yet He felt the need to pray. So struck by the quote, I began looking for the mentions of His prayer life in the Gospels.

  • He prayed while being water baptized by John the Baptist (Luke 3:21)
  • He went up the mountain to pray, and prayed all night before choosing the twelve apostles (Luke 6:12)
  • He prayed before daybreak (Mark 1:35)
  • He went up into the hills by himself to pray after feeding the multitude (Mark 6:46)
  • He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:35)

Why did Jesus pray?

He prayed to stay in constant contact with His Father. He had discovered that prayer was vital to life much as breathing and the beat of His heart.  He cultivated the habit of prayer. As He talked with His Father, He found His strength restored, stayed focused to His mission, and persevered to the end.

Challenging days will sap our strength and focus as well. We need to be filled up constantly or we will run empty.

Prayer … a conversation with God in which we praise Him for Who He is and acknowledge who we are not.

Prayer … a conversation with God in which we praise Him for what He can do and realize we can do nothing.

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul writes …

“Don’t worry about anything: instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” (Philippians 4:6, NLT)

There is nothing in life which we cannot bring to God in prayer. Talk to Him about it all. We can pray about everything, anytime.

And this is the result …

“I have learned the secret of living in every situation …. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (verse 12-13)

Paul discovered, much like Jesus, that prayer brings results.

Pray any time.
Pray about everything.
Prayer – the secret of living in every situation.

 

 

Today I am joining … Three Word Wednesday and Tell His Story and Coffee For Your Heart .