Jesus Our Perfect Prayer Pattern

When we concluded yesterday, we were made privy to the singular reason why Jesus needed that all night prayer time with His Heavenly Father.

And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles. Luke 6: 13. It was from this verse that we noted how, on the day after praying all night, Jesus called His disciples together, then He chose twelve of them on whom He conferred the new name of apostles.

I want to pause here, to offer you facts about fervent prayer, the wisest and best way to go, when we have any important work for God which, in our human strength, we cannot handle. Jesus is our example, our pattern and our perfect guide, to follow, even when, and especially when, He exposes His humanness before us.

Jesus, the Living Word, became flesh, became human, and no human can do this present work of choosing apostles to do the Father’s work, unless the Holy Spirit takes full control. Jesus is like you and like me, for He came like us with human limitations and subject to human pain, suffering, cares and much more. He is like you and like me, in that He took upon Himself full humanness with a human will and human attributes, which He had to daily deny, to be able to do His Father’s Work and obey His Father’s Will. Jesus is our preferred pattern, because He is our Brother, One who is exactly as we are, but who never sinned. He is our perfect pattern for He shows us how important, vital and life-saving prayer is for us, children and servants of God. 

Here is Jesus, knowing the work that He must do, the task which must be performed ere He continues His Father’s mission here on earth. He has to choose apostles and He knows that in His human body, mind and will, He cannot do it as pleasing unto God. Humility allows Him to accept His human weakness and go to His Father in fervent, all night prayer, for everything that He needs to do this work. What does Jesus receive in prayer? What fruit is born to Him through such fervent prayer? Here are some bountifully luscious, fully ready fruit that is borne out of prayer.

• He is strengthened in prayer: He is given wisdom, the Spiritual strength and astuteness to choose twelve out of many.

• He is sustained in prayer: He is not overwhelmed and all at sixes and sevens, because of such a huge decision to be made. Prayer holds Him firm and keeps Him steady and active. 

• He is straightened in prayer: He has a human will that is at war or at odds with His Father’s Will. It is in prayer that He is kept right and put right, so that He knows the discipline of, not My will, but Your will be done. Prayer keeps Him right and straight before God.

• He is satisfied in prayer. Can’t you see Jesus on the next day, as He calls all His disciples together? I don’t know how many disciples there were, but I know that they had to be many. Can you just see Him, as He goes about this task with precision and resolution, fully assured of doing what is right before His Father? There is undeniable satisfaction in Jesus, with the fruit of prayer.

Know, without a doubt, that to receive this strengthening, sustaining, straightening and satisfying unmeasured abundance in prayer, is not unique to Jesus. This is for you, me and all who will have the prayer mind and attitude of Jesus in us. 

Holy Spirit, as You deem it fit, teach us in all night prayer, so that as we face the next day, we may be laden with an abundance of luscious, healthy, ripe fruit of prayer. May we, in whom Jesus lives and who abide in Him, imitate our Lord and Master and take example and pattern from Him, always seeking Father God in prayer to receive all that we need, in order to pleasingly and successfully carry out His missions, big or small, at home or abroad, among many or few. Amen!

We have taken a look at Jesus in prayer, before mission.

Tomorrow, we shall begin to be led on that surprising path as mentioned earlier.