Why did Jesus Pray Return to Prayer Menu
... so often?
Luke 6:12 NIV
[The Twelve Apostles] [6:13-16pp -- Mt 10:2-4; Mk 3:16-19; Ac 1:13] Oneof those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the nightpraying to God.
Now, many people might not like calling Jesus a Revolutionary, but He was all about changing the status quo concerning the Jewish ways of thinking about and behaving toward God. It was a time for a new beginning, the rules were changing, and a new manner in man's communication with our Creator.
In Jewish society at the time of Jesus, praying by the average person was not emphasized, obedience to the law was. There was open prayer by the "hypocrites" as in Matthew 6:5. In this passage, Jesus says not to do this as they do for the purpose of just being seen by others. If you do, the attention you get is your only reward. This was against the status quo, and probably made those hypocrites upset. Rather, Jesus says pray in private, Revolutionary! Jesus walked the walk for what He talked. He prayed in private*1, Matthew 6:6, Matthew 14:23, Matthew 26:36 and others! These are but one example of Jesus' new Revolutionary ideas. In everything Jesus did, His leadership style was to "Set the Example"! This is another Perfect Example for how we should behave! Pray... often. But, why and why is it recorded on several occasions that Jesus prayed privately and one time, all night! Consider our best friends.
With our best of friends we like to talk to them and to do this in many different ways. The simple act of often taking time to contact them is a sincere form of friendship, love, and respect. When we take the initiative to contact friends it shows we are interested in them, their success and failures, and their problems and their solutions. It is a way to get to know them and with one of them we learn to love them most dearly... our spouse or spouse to be. We (or should) give a lot of time to the ones we love. And, especially time with the ones we love the most; in our contact with them we look for: their love in us, the desire to understand each other, advice, intimacy, their listening to us, and in short, a binding relationship. In our lives, creating strong relationships is what real communications is all about. We seek to understand by carefully listening and then seek to be understood. "Understanding" is a two way street. With Jesus, He did this with the Heavenly father for same reasons when we talk to our friends; and, He wants to hear from us! Revolutionary.
Prayer is our communications with our Heavenly Father, just as Jesus did! In our prayers, we are seeking the most personal possible relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. And, We Should especially Want That with our Heavenly Father! As we want a close relationship with our children, God wants that deep personal relationship with each and everyone of us, His children. As good parents love their children, God loves us, his children dearly; as good parents love to hear of their children's needs, so do does God want to hear from us our needs, as we would die to save our children, John 3:16 tells us that specifically His Son, Jesus, did that for us... only because He loves us and wants The Relationship with us. It is sad that so many of His followers do not embrace this. But, God still loves us all. We must pray,
Jesus prayed to maintain
His most close Personal Relationship with His Father, and since He is our Perfect Example for Living our Lives
we must do and want the same!
In the very act of praying often as Jesus did, we express ourselves to God, we express our need for God in our lives, we demonstrate our faith with Him, we listen for Guidance through the Holy Spirit, and it is pleasing to God. It expresses our love for and humility toward Him, our desire for Him to help us, shows our humbleness, and it demonstrates our desire to have the Personal Relationship we need with Him. God will respond to us as He did with Jesus, He will answer our prayers.
Jesus prayed for the same reasons we should, to continue and build our Personal Relationship with our Heavenly Father.
To have the Guidance, the Care, and
The Relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit
we must pray, and pray, and pray..... everyday.
Praise God that Prayer changes our life.
Thanks be to God
© lonnie coggins
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*1- Only for Jesus' transfiguration did He take disciples with Him to pray. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane He ended up alone for His prayers. One may wonder how we know some of Jesus' words in that prayer in the Garden. Look at Mark 14:51-52 and you will see about a young man that the temple guard found there. Some authorities including Dr. William Barkley conjecture this little boy is the actual writer of Mark. http://www.biblestudytools.com/kjv/mark/passage.aspx?q=mark+14:51-52
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Publication 0181
intro
JESUS PRAYED OFTEN, SOMETIMES HE PRAYED ALL NIGHT! In this message I suggest a reason we should behave like Jesus and pray. Please share the message on your Fb page as you like, and if you like, click the FB 'Follow' button to have notifications of these publications. For other messages like this, visit my FB page, or on FB visit-"A Daily Thought Group".
intro
JESUS PRAYED OFTEN, SOMETIMES HE PRAYED ALL NIGHT! In this message I suggest a reason we should behave like Jesus and pray. Please share the message on your Fb page as you like, and if you like, click the FB 'Follow' button to have notifications of these publications. For other messages like this, visit my FB page, or on FB visit-"A Daily Thought Group".
http://lonnieadailythought.blogspot.com/2011/09/prayer-life-why-did-jesus-pray-so-often.html
Click the link below>>>
http://lonnieadailythought.blogspot.com/2011/09/prayer-life-why-did-jesus-pray-so-often.html
Thank you so much for your writings, I look forward to reading each one. I just wanted to let you know that your writing has became an inspiration in my walk with Jesus. Have a Bless Day.
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