Stating the Obvious

It can be dangerous to state the obvious. For example, if you say “a woman is a woman” these days in a university classroom or the workplace, you’ll immediately feel the wrath of people on the left side of the socio-political spectrum. Politics and social trends mean little to us because we don’t follow worldly trends. The subject of this post is not a trend. The expression “a woman is a woman” is simply an example of how stating the obvious can awaken strong opposition.

So it is with stating the obvious about Jesus’ life. Few people can handle the obvious truth that Jesus prayed to God, but he did! Simply stating the fact that Jesus prayed to God can produce opposition within the Church—but why? There are so-called Christians who can’t deal with the implications of Jesus’ prayer life.

A Prominent Example

Jesus’ prayer life is given a prominent place in the New Testament. We see his prayer style, we read the content of his prayers, and notice the patterns of what he requested from God. Here are some examples:

During the days of Jesus’ life on Earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the One who could save him from Death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission (Hebrews 5:7).

... he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will’ (Matthew 26:39).

He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, your will be done’ (Matthew 26:42; NASB).

It was at this time that he went off to the mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God (Luke 6:12; NASB).

The fact that Jesus always prayed to the Father and to none other is prominent in the New Testament. Can people handle that? In general, no. Many Evangelicals get very uncomfortable when they hear that Jesus was dependent on the Father. It ruins their theory that Jesus was equal to God.

Their version of Jesus is someone who was equal to God. They say he was 100% God, so they can’t rationalize why Jesus would have to pray to God, or why—as we just read—Jesus had to ‘offer up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears.’ That doesn’t fit into their image of Christ.

It’s even more confusing to them to learn that God responded to Jesus’ prayers not out of preference to Jesus as a Son, but ‘because of his reverent submission.’ Jesus’ prayers to God were pious prayers. Jesus feared God! The fear of God was an important part of his character.

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—and he will delight in the fear of the LORD (Isaiah 11:2-3).

Jesus’ prayer life stirs up concern in churches. Some pastors are so confused that they teach that when Jesus prayed, he prayed to himself! Sadly, pastors have resorted to such absurdities. Others teach that he intercedes before himself in Heaven right now.

Do As He Says

The real challenge Jesus’ prayer life presents us is imitation. As people who call themselves Christians, we should emulate Christ’s life. A Christian should imitate Christ. But Jesus’ orientation challenges our own orientation. He was oriented towards God, and few Christians even know God.

In prayer Jesus sought God—do we? Do Christians even know who the One God is? Is he the ‘the One who could save Jesus from Death’ (Hebrews 5:7), or could Jesus save himself?

Jesus’ prayer life sets a standard for us but most people are too ignorant, lazy, or engrained in false teachings to implement his standards. The fact that Jesus prayed to God shows us that we should pray to the Father too. It shows us that we need God as much as Jesus needed him. It also shows us that prayer to God should be the pattern of our lives. That’s what Jesus taught.

... when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father... This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name... (Matthew 6:6, 9)

Knowing God and Jesus

The fact that Jesus prayed to God is a challenge to the people who pray to Jesus—and there are a lot of them in Evangelical churches these days. They should be praying to the Father like Jesus did—but they choose to pray to Jesus instead.

Jesus had some choice words for religious people who do not know God. He pointed out that among those who will hate us in the last times are those who do not know God!

They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me (John 15:21; LEB).

And they will do these things because they do not know the Father or me (John 16:2-3; LEB).

Jesus Prays to the Father Even Now

Some have looked at Jesus and have said that he only prayed because he was dependent on God during the time he was in the flesh. However, it’s not only while Jesus is in the flesh that he prays. For example, Jesus said that he would ask the Father to send us the Holy Spirit, and he sent the Holy Spirit after he ascended to Heaven.

This means that Jesus prayed the Father for after he was resurrected and had the divine nature.

[Jesus said] And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate... (John 14:16)

Likewise, in the divine nature now, Jesus intercedes for us before the Father, praying to the Father on our behalf. Jesus is at the Right Hand of the Father and prays for us there.

… Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the Right Hand of God and is also interceding for us (Romans 8:34).

Therefore he is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through him, since He always lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25; NASB).

So, Jesus prayed to God when he was in the flesh and even now, resurrected and glorified in the divine nature, he prays for us.

Jesus Depends on God

Jesus depends on God now, even after having been established in the divine nature. Although you may have thought that he only prayed to God while he was in the flesh and among us on Earth—you were wrong. Jesus relies on God constantly, even now. By himself, Jesus can do nothing. He lives because of the Father.

Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of himself… (John 5:19; NASB)

[Jesus said] By myself I can do nothing... (John 5:30)

Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me (John 6:57).

Do you need a comparison to conceptualize this truth? We are the comparison. In the same way we live because of Jesus, Jesus lives because of God. The Father is Jesus’ source of life. Jesus cannot do anything without God. As he remains in God’s love by obeying God, so must we remain in Jesus’ love by obeying Jesus.

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love (John 15:9-10).

Let Jesus Teach You

In his prayers, Jesus would look up to Heaven. He would not look in the mirror. Jesus prayed and looked upwards where he knew that his Father dwelled. Jesus looked to Heaven, the Throne of God, for help. Do you?

Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward Heaven, he blessed the food… (Matthew 14:19; NASB)

Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me...’ (John 11:41)

... he looked toward Heaven and prayed: ‘Father, the hour has come...’ (John 17:1)

Jesus’ followers knew that Jesus prayed to God. They had no doubts. Do you? Jesus’ friend Martha, the sister of Lazarus, was not only confident that Jesus prayed to God, she was confident that God would give him anything he asked!

Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you (John 11:22; NASB).

Jesus let people know that he had the option of prayer to the Father always at hand. He was not embarrassed to declare before friends and foes that he prayed to God, his Father.

… do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? (Matthew 26:53; NASB)

Will you ask Jesus to teach you to pray? If you do, he will.

It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples’ (Luke 11:1; NASB).