Where Did Jesus Pray?

12 Feb Where Did Jesus Pray?

Facebook

Twitter

Luke 3:21 – Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened…

John 11:41-42 – So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”

Mark 11:7 – And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.

Luke 9:28 – Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.

Praying like Jesus means we should pray where Jesus prayed. And Jesus prayed anywhere and everywhere.

Jesus prayed publicly

Jesus prayed assertively in large groups on many different occasions. In fact, his public prayers nearly always were prayers for the public.

In Luke 3:21, he prays at a great special occasion: “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened.”

In John 11:41-42 Jesus raises Lazarus in front of a gawking crowd and then prays specifically about them: “So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.’”

Jesus was not too shy to pray in public. He had a deep compassion for people, so he prayed for them and in front of them as a witness to the mighty acts of God.

Jesus prayed corporately

As Jesus purified the temple, he offered the corrective found in Mark 11:17: “And he was teaching them and saying to them, ‘Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”

Jesus considered the place of corporate worship a place of prayer, and as he frequented the synagogues, he undoubtedly offered up prayers of petition and thanksgiving to the Father, whether he was teaching or not.

If the body of Christ prayed when he went to church, then the Body of Christ should pray when it goes to church. Prayer needs to be a part of the regular gathering of the local congregation. Prayer is integral to corporate worship.

Jesus prayed with others 

Jesus not only prayed in large groups, he prayed in small groups, as in Luke 9:28: “Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.”

There’s Jesus’ small group! Together, they went away to meet with each other and to meet with the Lord.

Small groups are vital to discipleship because they teach you and train you for God-centered relationships with your brothers and sisters in Christ. As you pray with other believers, you learn how to pray and what to pray for. Sharing prayer requests, and praying for those requests together, helps create relationships of unity and empathy which makes living life so much richer.

Reflection:

1. 1. Find a person or group to pray with today, either in person or through technology (e.g. Skype or a phone call). 
      

To order “Pray Like Jesus”, click HERE and for a free e-book study guide, click HERE.