Prayer in the Life of Jesus
Learning to Pray by Following the Example of Christ
Jesus did more than teach His followers how to pray.
He prayed.
Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus seeking quiet places to be alone with His Father, praying before important decisions, giving thanks, praying for others, praying during suffering, and continuing in prayer even when the demands of ministry surrounded Him.
If Jesus made prayer a priority, His followers should pay attention.
Prayer was not something Jesus added to an already busy life. It was woven throughout His relationship with the Father and His ministry to others.
By looking at the prayer life of Jesus, we discover important lessons for our own relationship with God.
Jesus Made Time to Pray
Jesus was surrounded by people who needed Him.
Crowds came to hear Him teach.
People brought the sick to be healed.
His disciples needed instruction.
Religious leaders challenged Him.
Yet Jesus intentionally stepped away from the crowds to pray.
Luke tells us that Jesus “would often slip away to the wilderness and pray” (Luke 5:16).
Prayer was not simply what Jesus did when He had extra time.
He made time for it.
Our lives can also become crowded with responsibilities, appointments, family needs, work, church activities, and distractions.
The example of Jesus reminds us that time with God deserves a place in the rhythm of our lives.
Jesus Prayed in Solitude
Jesus frequently sought quiet places for prayer.
Sometimes He prayed early in the morning.
Sometimes He went into the wilderness.
Sometimes He went up on a mountain.
Solitude allowed Him to step away from the noise and demands surrounding Him and spend time with His Father.
We may not have a mountain or wilderness nearby, but we can still create quiet spaces for prayer.
A favorite chair.
A porch.
A garden.
A quiet room.
A walk outside.
The location is less important than intentionally turning our attention toward God.
Jesus Prayed Before Important Decisions
Before choosing the twelve apostles, Jesus spent the night in prayer.
Luke 6:12-13 tells us that He went to a mountain to pray and continued in prayer throughout the night. When morning came, He called His disciples and selected twelve of them to be apostles.
Jesus’ example teaches us to bring important decisions before God.
Before making major choices about family, work, ministry, relationships, or the future, prayer helps us seek God’s wisdom rather than relying only upon our own understanding.
Jesus Gave Thanks
Jesus regularly expressed gratitude to the Father.
Before feeding the multitudes, He gave thanks.
Before raising Lazarus from the dead, He thanked the Father for hearing Him.
At the Last Supper, He gave thanks before sharing the bread and cup with His disciples.
Thanksgiving was part of Jesus’ prayer life.
Our prayers should include more than requests.
Prayer also gives us an opportunity to recognize God’s goodness and thank Him for His provision, grace, and faithfulness.
Jesus Prayed for Others
One of the most beautiful examples of Jesus praying for others appears in John 17.
As the cross approached, Jesus prayed for His disciples.
He prayed for their protection.
Their unity.
Their holiness.
Their mission.
But Jesus did not pray only for the disciples who were with Him.
He also prayed for those who would later believe through their message.
That includes generations of Christians who would follow.
Jesus’ example teaches us to faithfully intercede for others.
Jesus Prayed During Suffering
Some of Jesus’ most powerful prayers came during His most difficult hours.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing the cross was approaching, Jesus prayed honestly about His anguish.
Yet He surrendered Himself completely to the Father’s will.
“Yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
Prayer did not remove the suffering Jesus faced.
Prayer prepared Him to walk faithfully through it.
There will be times when our prayers do not immediately change our circumstances.
In those moments, prayer helps us surrender our fears, desires, and uncertainties to God and trust Him with what comes next.
Jesus Prayed from the Cross
Even while suffering on the cross, Jesus prayed.
He prayed for forgiveness for those responsible for His crucifixion.
He cried out to the Father in anguish.
And before His death, He entrusted Himself into the Father’s hands.
Jesus demonstrated that there is no circumstance in which we cannot pray.
In joy.
In uncertainty.
In pain.
In grief.
In fear.
Even when words are difficult to find, we can turn toward God.
Jesus Taught His Disciples to Pray
The disciples saw something distinctive in the prayer life of Jesus.
They watched Him pray.
They saw Him withdraw to quiet places.
They witnessed His dependence upon the Father.
Eventually, one of His disciples asked:
“Lord, teach us to pray.”
Jesus responded by giving them the pattern we know as the Lord’s Prayer.
His disciples did not simply want information about prayer.
They wanted to learn to pray as Jesus prayed.
That remains the desire of every growing disciple.
What Can We Learn from Jesus’ Prayer Life?
The prayer life of Jesus teaches us that prayer should be a regular part of our relationship with God.
We can follow His example by:
Making time to pray.
Seeking quiet places with God.
Praying before important decisions.
Giving thanks.
Praying for others.
Bringing our suffering honestly before God.
Surrendering our will to God’s will.
Continuing to pray in every season of life.
We will never pray perfectly.
But we can continue learning from the One who showed us what a life of prayer looks like.
Reflection Questions
What does Jesus’ prayer life teach you about the importance of prayer?
What usually keeps you from making time for prayer?
Where could you create a quiet place to spend time with God?
Do you regularly pray before making important decisions?
Which aspect of Jesus’ prayer life would you most like to develop in your own life?
Key Bible Passages
Mark 1:35
Luke 5:15-16
Luke 6:12-13
Luke 9:18
Luke 9:28-29
Luke 11:1-4
Luke 22:39-46
Luke 23:34
Luke 23:46
John 11:41-42
John 17:1-26
Related Pages
The Lord’s Prayer: A Pattern for Prayer
How Jesus Taught the Disciples to Pray
