Mark 1:35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Why did Jesus pray? What did He pray about? Why did He spend hours in prayer? Very early in the morning in the Middle East would have been around 4am before sunrise every morning. Jesus spent a solid 3 to 4 hours in prayer every day. The disciples marveled at the prayer life of Jesus and asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1b), because they realized that it was the time of prayer that made Him powerful. The secret of the miracle Man Jesus was the incessant communication with the Father. Jesus said, No, I do what my father tells me to do. I do that so that the people of this world can know that I love my father” (John 14:31). So, Jesus spent the first few hours with the Father in Heaven in a solitary place on earth to discuss the agenda for the day, the plan and the places that He would travel, the people He would meet, the purpose and the prophecies that He would fulfill, during the early hours of the day. Therefore, “Prayer Time” for Jesus was the time of preparation to accomplish His purpose on earth.
Martin Luther understood this truth, hence he said, ‘I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer’— Martin Luther.
Jesus is our perfect epitome to follow. He practiced what He preached and left a legacy for us to live victoriously. If Jesus spent hours every morning in prayer, we have no excuse to skip personal dedicated time of prayer every morning.
Why should we pray?
1. People: The prayer conversation of Jesus would have included the people who were going to be healed, delivered and liberated that day. Jesus looked for people under the yoke of slavery, sin and sickness everywhere he went. He prepared Himself in prayer to teach the legalistic Pharisees and Sadducees that people are more precious than the policies (Luke 13:10-17). He spiritually empowered Himself in prayer to raise the dead, heal the leaper and forgive those who despised, disparaged and nailed Him to the cross.
2. Purpose: Jesus would have discussed the appointments, places and the purpose for the day. He would have spoken about the time and the hour the miracle should happen and the divine purpose that must be fulfilled through the miracles (John 2:4).
3. Prophecies: During His lifetime on earth, Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies. So in His prayer conversation with the Father, Jesus would have been ticking the list of prophecies that were to be fulfilled every day! (Luke 24:44-53).
Personal prayer time of Jesus prepared Him to fulfill God’s plan and purpose for Jesus on earth. Prayer time prepares us to fulfill God’s will, God’s purpose and God’s agenda on earth. Never doubt the power of prayer.
James 5:16 “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
Prayer: King Jesus, thank you for teaching us the secret and the power of personal prayer. Help me to become a man/woman of prayer. Amen.
Leave a Reply