All of the gospels demonstrate that prayer was immensely important to Jesus. But Luke, in particular, points out that Jesus spent time alone in prayer over and over again. Let’s sit with this for a minute.
Why did Jesus pray? He was the Son of God. If anyone didn’t ‘need’ to pray, wouldn’t it be Jesus? And yet Luke tells us he withdrew often to pray.
Let’s suppose that Jesus could, at any moment, regardless of situation or context, talk to God “in his head” (silently). We actually don’t know this to be true, but you might imagine that many people assume such an ability. So why did he feel the need to take time alone to go pray? Often.
It really is something to consider, not necessarily for the sake of theologizing about the nature of the relationship between the Father & Son, but to reinforce just how much we ourselves need to pray. It’s not a matter of legalistic brow-beating. Rather, if we truly want to follow the character of Jesus, we will need to be in prayer to connect with our heavenly Father.
The nature of our prayer - our posture - seems significant. It is certain that Jesus prayed for things to change. We see this in Gethsemane. And actually, we can consider his healings a form of intercessory prayer if we want.
But that’s not what his daily prayer times seem to be. These times see Jesus taking the responsibility to align himself with God the Father, which is different than praying for other people or the world. Jesus sought to get away from all the other voices and noise. It is harder to hear God’s voice with all the competing voices.
We live in a world far noisier than the hills of Galilee. Our phones buzz, headlines scream pressure upon us, our schedules are constantly calling, and even in quiet rooms our minds keep spinning. It’s no wonder prayer can feel elusive or rushed. But if Jesus himself slipped away from the demands of crowds and friends to re-center on the Father, how much more do we need that pause amid our own demands and distractions. Prayer isn’t just an escape from the world’s noise; it’s the way we tune our hearts to God so we can step back into the noise with purpose and grace.
Luke 6:12-26
During that time, Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night long. At daybreak, he called together his disciples. He chose twelve of them whom he called apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter; his brother Andrew; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus; Simon, who was called a zealot; Judas the son of James; and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Jesus came down from the mountain with them and stood on a large area of level ground. A great company of his disciples and a huge crowd of people from all around Judea and Jerusalem and the area around Tyre and Sidon joined him there. They came to hear him and to be healed from their diseases, and those bothered by unclean spirits were healed. The whole crowd wanted to touch him, because power was going out from him and he was healing everyone.
Jesus raised his eyes to his disciples and said:
“Happy are you who are poor, because God’s kingdom is yours.
Happy are you who hunger now, because you will be satisfied.
Happy are you who weep now, because you will laugh.
Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you, and condemn your name as evil because of the Human One. Rejoice when that happens! Leap for joy because you have a great reward in heaven. Their ancestors did the same things to the prophets.
But how terrible for you who are rich, because you have already received your comfort.
How terrible for you who have plenty now, because you will be hungry.
How terrible for you who laugh now, because you will mourn and weep.
How terrible for you when all speak well of you.
Their ancestors did the same things to the false prophets.”
Psalm 62:1-2, 5-12
Only in God do I find rest; my salvation comes from him.
Only God is my rock and my salvation—my stronghold!—I won’t be shaken anymore.
Oh, I must find rest in God only, because my hope comes from him!
Only God is my rock and my salvation—my stronghold!—I will not be shaken.
My deliverance and glory depend on God.
God is my strong rock. My refuge is in God.
All you people: Trust in him at all times!
Pour out your hearts before him!
God is our refuge!
Human beings are nothing but a breath.
Human beings are nothing but lies.
They don’t even register on a scale; taken all together they are lighter than a breath!
Don’t trust in violence; don’t set false hopes in robbery.
When wealth bears fruit, don’t set your heart on it.
God has spoken one thing—make it two things—that I myself have heard:
that strength belongs to God, and faithful love comes from you, my Lord—and that you will repay everyone according to their deeds.
Prayer
God,
I want to know you, to hear your voice. It’s fairly hard these days with so many competing voices, pressures, injustices, lies, and my own inadequacies.
So help me, when I turn my ear to you, to hear your voice.
Holy Father of all creation, I see your loving justice in Jesus of Nazareth. By your Spirit, make me more like him.
Amen.