Last Sunday we began a series about the prayers of Jesus. When we consider how little of the life of Jesus is recorded in the gospels, it is striking how frequently it is mentioned that He spends time in prayer. Luke alone shares nine instances where Jesus prays. Seven of those are unique to Luke’s gospel account.- Jesus prays at His baptism. (Luke 3:21)
- Jesus prays after healing a leper. (Luke 5:16)
- Jesus prays before calling His apostles. (Luke 6:12)
- Jesus prays with His disciples. (Luke 9:18)
- Jesus prays at His transfiguration. (Luke 9:28)
- Jesus prays when teaching His disciples to pray. (Luke 11:1)
- Jesus prays for Peter. (Luke 22:32)
- Jesus prays for those crucifying Him. (Luke 23:34)
- Jesus prays before His death on the cross. (Luke 23:46)
In fact, prayer is part of Luke’s telling of the story of Jesus from before His birth (Luke 1:10,13) to His presentation as a baby at the temple (Luke 2:38) to His final words on the cross (Luke 23:46). Through his emphasis on the prayers of Jesus, Luke is illustrating the close relationship that Jesus has with the Father. That kind of relationship required frequent prayer. In the book of Acts, Luke makes it clear that the disciples and the early church got the message. They are constantly spending time in prayer.
If we want to improve our relationship with God, regular prayer is a good place to begin. It is something Jesus taught His followers and put into practice Himself. We should do the same.
Brian