There’s something extraordinarily mysterious about the prayer life of Jesus. Although fully human (John 1:14), Jesus is simultaneously the second person of the triune Godhead. He is in perfect fellowship with the Father and the Spirit. What they know and do, he knows and does.
So, why then does he so often pray to the Father? What need is there for this? We know that Jesus came to accomplish the Father’s will (John 5:30; 6:38–40) and always does what the Father desires and never sins. So, what possible reason could he have for praying to the Father?
Why Does Jesus Pray to the Father?
The answer to this question is found in the truth that although he was fully divine during his earthly sojourn, Jesus lived and taught and served others as a man, depending on the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Although still omniscient as the Son of God, he suspended the exercise of this divine attribute so that he might live a fully human life, operating within the same limitations that we do as humans. He, therefore, would naturally seek wisdom from the Father (Luke 2:40, 52) and insight into what the Father is doing.
When people ask, “Since Jesus was God, what can I possibly learn from his prayer life?” I remind them that in his self-renunciation (Phil. 2:6–11), he voluntarily suspended the exercise of whatever divine attributes that were inconsistent with living as a human being. He didn’t lose or forfeit or divest himself of any divine attribute. When the Son of God became incarnate as a man (John 1:14), he didn’t commit divine suicide. But he did resolve to live and minister as a man in constant dependence upon the presence and power of the Holy Spirit with whom he was filled (Luke 4:1, 14, 18–19; John 3:34).
We know that before he chose the twelve disciples, he withdrew to a mountain, “and all night he continued in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12 ESV). But why? What could he possibly be asking from the Father? Could it be that he sought wisdom and guidance in knowing whom to choose to be his apostles? Undoubtedly, yes! Following his long night of prayer, the first thing he did was to choose twelve from his disciples, “whom he named apostles” (Luke 6:13).
You might be inclined to wonder what possible relevance all of this has for us. Jesus is Jesus, after all, and we are not. He was both God and man, and we are but men and women. His example is designed to encourage us as we pray. In his prayers, we see a human seeking guidance, power, insight, and sustaining strength from the Father. Jesus models how to pray for all we need to carry out God’s calling on our lives. Just as Jesus drew strength from the Holy Spirit, so should we. Just as Jesus sought his Father’s input, counsel, and guidance, so should we.
For What Does Jesus Instruct Us to Pray?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructed his followers to love their enemies and to “pray for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:44; see Rom. 12:14). You might think that the prayer would be for them to cease their persecution, but I suspect that Jesus had something more redemptive in mind.
For Our Enemies
Certainly, he wants us to pray for the conversion of our enemies. Our fleshly temptation is to summarily dispense them into hell, that they might suffer for their sins. But we who ourselves deserved to suffer in this way have been mercifully forgiven. Similarly, we should pray that the Spirit regenerates their hearts and leads them to faith and repentance. Whatever Jesus had in mind when he issued this exhortation, I’m certain he envisioned our prayers for their spiritual welfare.
For More Holy Spirit
Jesus also encouraged us to pray for more of the Holy Spirit, for more of his work in our hearts, for more of his power for ministry, for more of his enlightenment that we might more clearly see and understand the blessings that are ours, that we might be ever more progressively conformed to the image of Jesus (Luke 11:13). The striking thing about this prayer is that it is the one example given of what happens when we continue to ask and to seek and to knock in prayer. Our “heavenly Father” is infinitely good and generous and knows how to give good gifts to his children, preeminent among which is the Holy Spirit.
For ‘Good Things’
The somewhat surprising thing about this prayer in Luke 11 is that it is repeated in Matthew 7, but with one remarkable difference. While Luke assures us that the Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask, Matthew says he will grant us “good things” (Matt. 7:11). He doesn’t specify what “things” he has in mind, but I can well imagine it would include whatever we need to resist sin, seek Christ, enjoy his presence, grow in intimacy, ward off the fiery missiles of the enemy, love others with the love with which we have been loved, and the list could go on endlessly.
The apostle Paul asked this glorious rhetorical question in Romans 8:32: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (ESV). These “things” that come with faith in Christ are not earthly fame or fortune but whatever is needed to enhance our delight in God and to empower us in our war with the world, the flesh, and the devil.
You Must Ask
Whatever “things” you most desperately need to sustain your walk with God and your ever-increasing joy in Jesus, the Father will supply abundantly. But you must ask! You have to pray! We can never expect God to do for us apart from prayer what he has said he will do only in response to our prayer.
Excerpted from Understanding Prayer: Biblical Foundations and Practical Guidance for Seeking God by Sam Storms.
Understanding Prayer is an indispensable resource, serving as both a comprehensive analysis and a practical guide for those seeking God through prayer. It offers a journey into the heart of prayer, transforming it from a mere ritual to a deeply personal spiritual experience that develops and grows our knowledge, understanding, and hunger for God.
Sam Storms (PhD, University of Texas at Dallas) is founder of Enjoying God Ministries and the executive director of the Convergence Church Network. He previously served as senior pastor of Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma City and is a former professor. Storms travels both in the United States and abroad, speaking at churches and conferences. He is the author of over 35 books including Practicing the Power and Understanding Spiritual Gifts. He blogs regularly at samstorms.org.
