Most of us are familiar with things Jesus says about prayer. Fewer of us ponder what Jesus’ life says about prayer.
Like Matthew, Luke records Jesus’ teaching of the Lord’s Prayer—albeit a shorter version. Different from Matthew, Luke gives it a distinctive occasion. Jesus “was praying in a certain place.” After finishing, a disciple asks: “Lord, teach us to pray.” Although John the Baptizer has set a precedent for this, the request is prompted by observing how Jesus prayed. Immediately after he finishes, his disciples ask him to help them do what he has just done.
This is hardly the only time Jesus prays. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus prays at his baptism (3:21–22), before choosing disciples (6:12), at his transfiguration (9:28), and before watershed moments (9:18). He withdraws to pray (4:42; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18; 22:41) and prays with others (9:28; 11:1). He prays spontaneously (10:21–22; 23:34), regularly (5:16), and sometimes all night (6:12). In Luke’s narrative, virtually all significant moments of Jesus’ ministry depict him in prayer. Given this, it’s no surprise his disciples ask how they might do likewise.
As I ponder the life of Jesus, I marvel at how regularly, how often, and how authentically he prayed. As much as he taught and did great stuff, he prayed. Busy as he was, he took time to pray. Tight as Jesus was with God, he prayed all the more. Swamped with unending demands, he habitually prayed. Jesus didn’t simply talk about prayer—he lived it.
How are our lives similarly marked by prayer?
When life gets busy, I find it more difficult to make space to pray. I gravitate more to tangible things I can do—tasks I can check off to feel a sense of accomplishment. They look more satisfying. But focusing simply on the needs at hand is not healthy—nor is it what Jesus did. Grounded in his identity as God’s beloved Son, he returned to that identity over and over as a source for his ministry. His goal was not sheer productivity, but to live and serve grounded in the saving, regenerative work of God.
Prayer reminds and grounds us in the same things. The needs around us are enough to burn us out and bury us, if allowed to. But God calls us to focus more on Sabbath than spreadsheet results, more on prayer than productivity. Because you and I matter far more to God than simply what we produce.
Most of all, I ponder the request of the disciples: “Lord, teach us to pray.” Whatever our patterns of prayer may be, this is a fine starting point. In this story, Jesus hears this prayer and responds. We trust that God in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit does the same for us today.
Jesus Christ, teach us to pray. Amen.
