Luke 11 verse 1 reads, One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray…”
The disciples wanted to model themselves after Jesus and Jesus spent a lot of time praying to His Father. He would often go off by himself simply to pray. Did you know that Luke portrayed Jesus as the praying Messiah? There are more references to Jesus’ praying in Luke than the other three gospels combined (Matthew, Mark and John). Let’s review Luke’s accounts.
When and Where Jesus Prayed
Jesus prayed at His baptism. Luke 3:21, And as he was praying, heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Jesus prayed after performing miracles. Luke 5:16, But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Jesus prayed before choosing His disciples. Luke 6:12, One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
Jesus prayed before Peter’s confession of faith. Luke 9:18, Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
Jesus prayed at the Transfiguration. Luke 9:29, And as he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.
Jesus prayed after the 70 return. Luke 10:21, At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
Jesus prayed when teaching the disciples how to pray. Luke 11:2-4.
Jesus prayed during his crucifixion. Luke 23:33-34, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Jesus prayed on the Mount of Olives. Luke 22:39-46, He prayed so fervently the passage reads, his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. He was in anguish when he prayed.
Jesus modeled prayer for His disciples. By all accounts, Jesus was always praying, seeking His Father’s face at every juncture. The disciples saw in Jesus everything they wanted to be or emulate. So, they asked Jesus, “We want you to teach us how to pray so we can also pray.” Prayer requires discipline, intentionality and simply, desire. We want to pray because Jesus prayed. We want to pray because prayer changes us and prayer changes those for whom we pray. Prayer is a secret weapon for all believers if we are willing to make it a priority in our lives.
