If Jesus is...

But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.
Luke 5:16 NLT

I have been asked if Jesus is part of the Godhead, why did He need to pray? Good question, even better is, if Jesus prayed, why don't we?

The other day, someone mentioned Matthew 6:8 and asked, if God knows what we need before we ask, why do we ask? However, if we read what was said before and after that statement, we realize it is taken out of context. Jesus was talking about vain repetition - just saying words over and over - rather than praying from a heart full of faith in God.

Jesus prayed on Earth because He was human and knew there was no way to do life without communicating with the Father. He prayed alone, He prayed with others, He prayed FOR others. He prayed short prayers, He prayed all night long. He prayed inside buildings and outside in nature.

In His most desperate time on Earth, He prayed for an answer and the answer was 'No' (the Garden of Gethsemane). It is important to note that His prayer didn't go UNanswered, but it wasn't answered the way WE would have wanted if we'd been praying for a way out. It is VITAL to note that Jesus prayed, "Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine..." (Luke 22:42), just as He taught us to pray in Matthew 6, "...Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven".

And even TODAY, Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us (Romans 8:34). So, if Jesus is praying, shouldn't we be?

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven,
                                  May Your name be kept holy. May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen.