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Total dependence on God: The prayer example of Jesus

Christy Bower

Just as we might close our eyes for a day in order to identify with someone who lives in blindness, Jesus became fully human so that He could identify with us. With our eyes closed, we have not lost our ability to see; similarly, in Christ’s humanity, He was no less God. Yet, in identifying with us, Jesus provided a model of what it means to depend on God in our “blindness”.

Jesus had a habit of prayer. Although He does not seem to have followed a pre-arranged prayer schedule, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). He recognized His need to depend on the Father. There is no better way to learn such dependence than to observe Christ’s practice of prayer.

Jesus depended on God for His ministry.

Luke records that Jesus was praying during His baptism at the beginning of His ministry (Luke 3:21-23) and as He was taken up into heaven at the close of His ministry (Luke 24:50-51). Of significance is the result of Christ’s baptismal prayer: Heaven was opened, and God audibly confirmed Christ’s mission on earth. This is the first of three instances in which God spoke during Christ’s ministry, and each occurred during Christ’s times of prayer.

Jesus depended on God for direction and focus.

From the beginning we see Christ making adjustments to His plans following times of prayer. After a busy day, Christ arose early the next day to pray (rather than sleeping in). When the disciples found Him, Jesus said, “Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come” (Mark 1:38). Christ’s popularity was growing rapidly as a result of His healing ministry, but, after taking time out to pray and refocus, He changed direction.

Jesus depended on God for decisions.

Luke 6:12 says, “One of those days Jesus went out into the hills to pray, and spent the night praying to God.” What stood out to Luke was the long duration of this prayer time. We understand the reason in verse 13: “When morning came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated apostles.” Jesus spent the entire night in prayer before choosing the twelve who would be closest to Him and who would carry on His ministry after He returned to the Father. Oh, that we would seek God as earnestly when faced with ministry decisions.

Christ depended on God’s answers.

He had absolute certainty that He had whatever He asked of the Father. This is seen in the raising of Lazarus, when Jesus prayed, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me” (John 11:41-42). Again, we see this confidence when Christ predicted Peter’s denial. “Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). Isn’t it wonderful that the same Christ “lives to intercede” for us today (Hebrews 7:25)? We, too, can have confidence before God, knowing that we have received what we have asked for when we ask according to His will.

Jesus depended on God in times of crisis.

After feeding the 5000, Christ sent the disciples away in a boat and dismissed the crowd so that He could go up to the hills to pray. John explains the crisis building that prompted such urgent prayer time: “Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again into the hills by Himself” (John 6:15). Another building crisis was the growing misunderstanding people had of who He was. This was not limited to the religious leaders of the time, for many of His disciples also turned back and no longer followed Him (John 6:66). What if the twelve misunderstood, as well? “Once when Jesus was praying in private and His disciples were with Him, He asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’” (Luke 9:18). In the conversation that followed, we find Peter’s confession of faith: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus replied that Peter’s confession was a supernatural revelation, likely a direct response to Christ’s prayer.

Christ depended on God in emotional troubles.

Shortly before the crucifixion, Jesus said, “My heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again” (John 12:27-28). We see Christ’s same emotional distress when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Christ depended on God in fulfilling His mission.

In the final hours of His life, Christ prayed three prayers while hanging on the cross:

“Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46).

Clearly Jesus made prayer His first recourse. We too often make prayer our last resort. Christ must be our example of living in total dependence on God. That vital link is maintained through constant prayer. We can and we must turn to God for direction, for decisions, for answers, in crisis, in emotional trouble and in fulfilling our ministry from beginning to end.

Christy Bower is a graduate student at Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, Ore.

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Last modified November 29, 2000.

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