Luke 11:1 ESV

1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”

Praying with Jesus

What do I mean when I say “Praying with Jesus?”

Identify the ways Jesus, Himself, prayed (where, when, how, why)—and do it.

Learn what Jesus taught about prayer—and do it.

One of the major themes of the Gospel of Luke is prayer.

Main Idea: Show me a strong follower of Christ and I will show you a person who has a strong prayer life. You cannot be strong spiritually without prayer.

What does it mean to pray LIKE Jesus?

Prayer occurs at every major point in Jesus’ life.

At His baptism; at his selection of the Twelve disciples, at Peter’s confession, at Jesus’ transfiguration; in his teaching the Lord’s Prayer; before Peter’s denial, at the Cross.

If the infinite, perfect, Son of God practiced the spiritual discipline of prayer, don’t you think it may be necessary for us to engage in this same discipline?

Jesus prayed alone.

Luke 5:16 ESV

16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

This was typical for Jesus—getting away from everything to pray.

Life is full of distractions—noise—clutter.

Prayer, free from these distractions, is a necessary part of the believers life.

There are times when it needs to be just you and God.

Jesus prayed with others.

Luke 9:28 ESV

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.

Prayer is not just a personal endeavor—it is also are corporate experience.

When more than one person is praying, agreeing together, it unleashes power.

It serves as a witness to the faithfulness of God—it serves as opportunity to build our faith (and faith is an essential component to prayer.

Jesus prayed with anguish.

Luke 22:44 ESV

44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Prayer is emotional. It is not merely to say words. It is spiritual, emotional, physical, mental.

It is the cry of the heart—your innermost being.

It is raw and uncensored. It is free from attempting to impress others. It is true, honest, serious conversation with God. It does not hide anything from His presence.

Transition

I want to add two other aspects of prayer that I think are very important in the Gospel of Luke.

Pray with Persistence

We have a tendency in our present culture to quit too soon—to assume that God will not answer prayer.

We let discouragement and frustration drive us away from a spiritual discipline that can change our life, our circumstances, and the people around us.

Luke 18:1 ESV

1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

Luke

Jesus taught about prayer by using a story of a widow who needed justice for her cause. The judge in this story did not fear God nor was he concerned about people. But, in this woman’s persistence, he finally gave in.

What Jesus taught was the power and results to persistent praying.

Luke 18:6–8 ESV

6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Pray for Strength

Luke 21:36 ESV

36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Life is tough. People and circumstances can overwhelm you.

Illustration: Christian Williams (Alone Together)—facing a storm off the coast of California. Dangerous. He rehearses the steps he needs to take if the storm is catastrophic. The disciplines he employs gives assurance that his boat and he-himself—will go through the storm without fear.

The storms of life will come—some seasons they seem more powerful than others. But they do come. Are you prepared to face the storm. Don’t face it alone. Face it with Jesus.

Conclusion

The discipline of prayer is an essential part of being a healthy follower of Jesus Christ. Without prayer, it is like tying both hands around your back and attempting to fight an enemy.

The first step in embracing a life in prayer is to put your faith and trust in God through Jesus Christ.

As we begin this New Year, ask yourself: “Do you trust God? Do you fully believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, who provided the victory over sin through the cross?”