PRAYERFUL LIFE OF CHRIST!

“…consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus” (Hebrews 3:1).

What a beautiful revelation and model the prayerful life of Jesus Christ is to you! Jesus Christ is one who left behind the footsteps of the prayerful life for you to follow.

Prayer was the beginning and end of His life. He decided to commence His ministry with prayer. It was not an ordinary prayer. It was a deep and sacrificial one. He forgot His food and other comforts and prayed earnestly for forty days in the wilderness. Not only that. At the end of His life journey also He went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.  We read in the Scripture that even while hanging on the Cross, Jesus Christ looked up to God thrice and prayed to Him.

Turn your concentration towards the prayerful life of Jesus Christ. The Scripture says, “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed” (Mark 1:35). “So, He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed” (Luke 5:16). Our Lord who is a great prayer warrior willed to teach you certain secrets of how to pray combining with the practical experiences of life. 

Firstly, His wish is that you should go into your room, close the door and pray earnestly to your Father, who is unseen (Mathew 6:6). He hates hypocritical praying. He hates the lengthy prayers which were hypocritical in nature. Your prayer should reveal the personal fellowship which prevails between you and God.  

Secondly, He taught that one ought to pray and not lose heart (Luke 18:1). One should never allow weariness and fear to find a place while praying. God has cited the example of the incident in which a widow making persistent attempts to acquire judgment from a judge and finally getting it, to explain this point. 

Thirdly, one has to reconcile with people before praying and the prayer could bring the blessing only when this is done. When you go to the altar with the offertory and if you remember your brother has something against you, you will have to come back, reconcile with that brother and then go to the altar and present your offertory. Only if this is done, the offertory will be recognised by God. If you forgive men for their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you (Mathew 6:14).

Finally, God explains the necessity pray watchfully. The Scripture says, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” (Mathew 26:41). Dear children of God, how essential it is for you to watch and pray so that you do not fail in the test!

To meditate: “Could you not watch with me one hour?” (Mathew 26:40).