Jesus teaches us about prayer

Private prayer

Jesus practised private prayer as an important part of his fellowship with God. He often went aside to be alone in prayer (Matt. 14:23; 26:36,39; Mark 1:35; Luke 9:18,28) and he taught his disciples about private prayer:

When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matt. 6:6)

Jesus emphasises to the disciples that they must not be like the Pharisees who ‘showed-off’ for people by praying long prayers in public places. Rather, they should go into their rooms and be alone with God. Prayer is primarily a personal relationship with God, it is something private. Prayer is directed to God and not to people and concerns only the one praying and God. We must, therefore, come before God with an honest and upright heart and be clear what we are praying about.

Jesus says that prayers made in secret will be answered in a visible way. People do not need to know that we pray for them. The most important thing is that we get answers to our prayers and that they get the blessing we pray down on them.

Corporate prayer

Jesus taught his disciples that corporate prayer by Christians who come together in his name accomplishes a great deal. Prayer is not just something private but it is an important part of church life, an important element in a Christian fellowship. Friendship and fellowship where prayer is not central lack something essential in its content. Hear what Jesus says:

Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them. (Matt.18:19,20)

It is important to notice these words of Jesus. Here we find a glorious promise about receiving what we pray for but there are clear conditions to be met if the prayer is to be answered. Jesus says that we must be in agreement in our prayers; the subject must be something about which we stand united. We must agree and there must be harmony between us. When Christians really stand together and are one in heart and mind their corporate prayers will be answered.

Persistent and bold prayer

Jesus taught his disciples that they must be persistent and bold in their prayers. He said:

“Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’ Then the one inside answers ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs”. (Luke 11:5-8)

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened”. (Matt. 7:7-8)

It is very clear that Jesus, with this teaching, emphasises that those who pray must be persistent, bold and very concrete about what they pray about. We see that there is a growing intensity when Jesus says ‘ask - seek - knock’! This friend who comes in the middle of the night gets what he needs because he is not too ashamed to ask for it in order to help a friend. He asked with great boldness and got what he asked for because he was persistent.

We can pray with great boldness because God is our loving Father who will give us all we need.

“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him”! (Luke 11:13)

Persevering prayer

Prayer is very important and therefore we must not give up but must persevere when we pray. Jesus once told the disciples a parable to show that they should always pray and not give up:

“In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming.’ And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.”” (Luke 18:2-8)

The point of this parable is that the widow got justice because she would not give up even though the judge was dishonest. The God we pray to is righteous, he is faithful and good, and Jesus says that he is not slow to bring justice for the believers when they persevere in prayer. If the widow could get help from a dishonest judge, haven’t we, who pray to the Almighty God, our Father in heaven, greater reason to expect help and answers to our prayers? As children of God we have some privileges in coming to our Father in prayer and we know that he will give everything we need!

Prayer and fasting

In Biblical times prayer was often accompanied by fasting. One gave up food in order to emphasise the seriousness and intensity of one’s prayer. Jesus himself practised fasting (Matt.4:2) and said that the disciples should fast when he had gone to his Father (Luke 5:34-35).

The first Christians fasted on many occasions; when they worshipped (Acts 13:2); when the apostles were sent out (Acts 13:3); when leaders were appointed (Acts 14:23); or for their own sake (2 Cor.6:5; 11:27). Proper fasting brings many blessings. You take control over your body and all its demands (1 Cor.9:24ff). You receive spiritual power and authority to bless and to help those who are troubled and in bondage (Matt.17:21; Mark 9:29).

Jesus underlined the great importance of fasting with these words:

“This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:29)

“…so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matt. 6:18)

Prayer in the Spirit

Jesus taught that those who worship God must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). It is not the words, the outward appearance or the place where we pray which is of importance but that we pray honestly, uprightly, from the heart, in accordance with the interests of Jesus.

As we saw previously, Jesus told his disciples that all the believers would speak in new languages or tongues. The apostles taught that this language was given as a prayer language to enrich our prayer life (see Mark 15:17; 1 Cor.14:2,14-18; Rom. 8:26).

For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no-one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. (1 Cor.14:2)

He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself. (1.Cor.14:4)

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. (1Cor.14:14-15)

Exercise:

Have you ever been bold, persistent and perseverant in prayer? Explain how.

Are you praying in the Spirit? What happens to you when you do?

Continue to memorise, add this Bible verse:

So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. (Luke 11:9)