MATTHEW 14:22-23: “Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.”

OBSERVATION: What is the most important thing that Jesus did in His earthly ministry? When we read the Gospels, our attention is drawn to the miraculous. Jesus healed the sick, cleansed lepers, opened the eyes of the blind, raised the dead, fed over 5000 with two loaves and five fish, walked on water, calmed the seas, and cast out demons. That is pretty exciting stuff! The one thing we seldom focus on is…

Jesus Prayed!

Imagine how the Logos of God, who lived in complete fellowship with the Father and the Spirit from all eternity, felt when He humbled Himself, became a man, and dwelt among us. Jesus longed for the intimacy He had in heaven. Jesus did not spend time in prayer simply to ask for things as we so often do. Jesus sought a quiet place where He could be alone, to listen to the still small voice of the Spirit, and have intimate communion with the Father.

Matthew, chapter 14, provides two great examples of Jesus praying. Powerful events proceeded from these times of intimacy with the Father and the Spirit. When Jesus learned that John the Baptist had been killed, He sought a quiet place to pray. Jesus loved John and no doubt wanted to hear from the Father. As He prayed, the multitude found Him, and what proceeded from this time of prayer was the feeling of the 5000.

After feeding the 5000, Jesus once again sought a place where He could be alone and commune with the Spirit and the Father. Everything Jesus did proceeded out of His prayer time with the Spirit and the Father. In the Gospel of John, Jesus proclaimed,

John 5:19-20: “So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished.” NLT

Jesus came to do the will of the Father. Jesus laid down His glory and heavenly attributes when He became a man. He was fully God but was no longer omnipresent or omniscient. Jesus grew in wisdom and stature as He abided in the Word, walked after the Spirit, and prayed. It was in the times alone with the Spirit and the Father that Jesus was empowered, equipped, and directed to know and do the will of the Father.

After Jesus finished praying, following the feeding of the 5000, the next thing we read about is Jesus walking on the water! The disciples were struggling in the boat against the wind and the waves. In all of this external confusion, Jesus comes in perfect peace, walking on the water. Peter joins Him, struggles with his faith, is rescued by Jesus, and Jesus enters the boat, calming both the wind and the sea.

Is it any wonder why the disciples, when they were alone with Jesus, said,

Luke 11:1: “Once, Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” NLT

The disciples recognized that the power of God was manifested in Jesus’ life following His times of prayer with the Spirit and the Father. What they didn’t recognize was that the manifestation of God’s power was not the result of what Jesus asked for but the outflow of Who He was with! This is evident in Jesus’ answer to the disciples when they asked Him how to pray.

Luke 11:2-4: “Jesus said, ‘This is how you should pray: “Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. Give us each day the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation.” NLT

Jesus’ prayer life began and ended with worship and communion with the Father through the Spirit! Other manuscripts and accounts add, “…but deliver us from evil, for Yours is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:13, NKJV). It is proper and Biblically accurate to ask for our needs in our time of prayer with the Father. However, the lion’s share of our prayer should be to worship and listen to the Father rather than only ask for our needs!

This is how Jesus prayed!

This is how I need to pray!

Father, forgive me for making my time with You a time primarily to ask You for what I need. Help me to refocus my time of prayer to listen to the still small voice of Your Holy Spirit, speaking through Your Word, and hear what You want me to do. May the times I come apart to pray be filled with these words…

“Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, in me…as it is in heaven!”

In Jesus’ Name!

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