Praying like Jesus

I lead a small prayer group from our church. Each week we focus on different aspects of prayer. This week we searched scripture to discover what Jesus had to say about prayer. 

Since He was in complete agreement with God's will, Jesus knew exactly what to pray and He left us some examples of perfect prayers.

As born-again believers, we have God's Holy Spirit to guide us and we need to invite His Spirit to lead us in our prayers. 

We also need to be in right standing with God, so before we begin to pray, we need to ask God to forgive us for any sins we may have committed and also that we forgive anyone who may have wronged us. This will clear our minds from wrong thoughts and help us focus on God, who knows our every thought.

Jesus instructs His disciples to pray for our enemies and those who persecute us. We need to be very specific about who our enemies are and ask God to soften their hearts so they can discover who Jesus is and that He died for their sins. He offers eternal life to everyone who believes in Him.

Jesus said that whatever we asked for in His name, we should believe that we have received it. He will not deny any of our requests when they are asked unselfishly. 

Jesus set aside time each day to spend with His Father - He was intentional in His prayer life and we should be also. Whether we choose to spend time each morning or evening isn't important, what's important is setting aside time to spend alone with God. 

"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matthew 6:6-8

Someone told me one time that God has given us 24 hours in each day and that we should all spend a portion of each day in devotion to God. 

Jesus also taught that we should not give up, but keep praying. The enemy will try to discourage us in our prayers for others. Many of us have been praying for salvation for loved ones for years and it is easy to get discouraged and quit praying, but Jesus told us not to give up. He also told His disciples to pray that they would not fall into temptation. 

If there is one thing that I've discovered during my years as a prayer warrior, it's that Satan wants to keep me from praying - he puts up roadblocks and obstacles during the day to keep my focus on myself and off my God. Not only do I need to pray that I won't fall into temptation, but I also need to pray for my praying brothers and sisters. Keeping prayer warriors in prayer daily is important because their prayers are vital for so many. 

We are also instructed by Christ to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send workers into the harvest field, because the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few. There are millions of people around the world who don't know about God's amazing love for them. Ask God to send workers into those lands to share the good news.

Jesus also prayed for us - "I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one. I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you loved me. 

"Father, I want those who you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." John 17:20-26

All believers are expected to have a prayer life - it goes with the territory. Jesus never said "if you pray" but He did say, "when you pray." 

He has given us a beautiful example of a life of prayer - He has made a way for us to communicate with the God of the universe and He wants us to present our requests to our Father God. 

Jesus offers eternal life

We hear a lot of talk about different "avenues" to reach God, but the Bible teaches that there is just one way to be saved - that way is Jesus. If you accept Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for your sins, you will be saved. Jesus' blood was shed for everyone in world, but not everyone in the world believes they need a savior; not everyone in the world is willing to repent of their sins and become a follower of Christ. Not everyone in the world will accept God's gift of salvation.

Jesus described himself as the gate, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to  steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:7-10

To become a follower of Christ, we must first acknowledge the fact that we are sinners. The Apostle Paul said that we have all sinned and fallen short. He said that the wages of sin is death. He was saying that since we are born sinners, we are doomed to destruction - we can't earn our way out of separation from God by trying to be good people. As hard as we try to "be nice", it's just impossible to "be nice enough" to enter God's presence. 

When we realize that we are powerless to save ourselves, we are finally on our way to accepting Christ as our King.

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep." John 10:11-13

One of the most amazing things about God is His love for us. He created us, He wants a relationship with us and since He is a righteous, holy God, He can't have that relationship until we are made right in His eyes. Rather than give up on us, God provided a way for us to come into His presence. He sent His only Son, Jesus, to become one of us and Jesus willingly shed His blood for us so that we could have a relationship with God, the Father.

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just at the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." John 10:14-18

No other religion in the world follows a leader who willingly died for their sins; no other religion in the world has a leader who was resurrected from the dead; no other religion in the world offers believers eternal life with God the Father. 

Jesus told his disciples, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

Jesus answered, "I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:1-6

Not only do followers of Christ have a shepherd who died for our sins, but we have the promise from Him that one day He will come back to take us to the place He is preparing for us. Even as I write this, Jesus is preparing for me to join Him for eternity.

It sounds impossible, it seems incredible, but the God who created the universe and everything in it is still creating. There is no end to what He is doing and He wants us to be with Him throughout eternity. God wants to show us His glory. 

The earth is just the beginning for us – it's a stepping stone into eternity and Jesus is offering the people of the world His hand to help us into eternal life. Accept the gift God is offering – repent of your sins, give your heart to Jesus and let His Spirit lead you heavenward.