It may surprise you to know that there are ONLY 15 different occasions within the gospels which mention Jesus praying. Obviously, he spent more time praying than that and this doesn’t include the times when He was teaching about prayer. So, what can we learn from the moments recorded in the Bible where we read that Jesus prayed?
The first record we have is at Jesus’ baptism. This event is recorded in the synoptics (Matthew, Mark and Luke) but only in Luke’s gospel do we read that Jesus was praying. Here is what it says:
“When all the people were being baptised, Jesus was baptised too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”Luke 3:21-22 – NIV
I wonder what Jesus was saying, maybe telling his Father that he loved him?
Perhaps one day he’ll tell me!
But what happened when Jesus prayed, let’s reflect on this for a moment.
- Prayer = Heaven Was Opened
What does this little phrase mean? Some translations say, ‘the heavens opened’, an expression sometimes used when its pouring with rain!
Heaven opening is God bringing his blessing upon the people and the community, when Jesus was baptised and then PRAYED, (God’s son the fullness of God the Father), the heavens were pouring out its blessing on earth. This is a significant moment, it’s God’s response to what is happening, a sign of who Jesus was and what he was about to do which was bring an outpouring of blessing upon people.
It appears to me that when Christians pray it’s like a key unlocking the blessing of heaven. And when heaven meets earth, the results are always incredible, every time there is goodness, real love (not humanity’s invention of what love is), forgiveness, mercy, justice being demonstrated then something of heaven is touching earth – but it starts with Prayer.
There are certain places in the world where it appears often to have an open heaven as many people have converted to Christianity. One such place is South Korea, perhaps because they have been striving in prayer and evangelism. We need to pray for an open heaven in the UK – for God’s blessing to pour down.
In the Old Testament we read in Malachi 3:10:
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.Malachi 3:10 – NIV
Don’t mistake this verse to be backing up the (unbiblical) prosperity gospel that some people preach, it doesn’t mean that, but there is something about giving ourselves to God, particularly in prayer and obedience to his ways that when we do – the more the heavens open.
- Prayer = The presence of the Holy Spirit
We read the Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove. We know the dove is a symbol of peace with God and God’s peace with us. When Jesus prayed the Holy Spirit came upon him. The wonderful thing is this is true for us also. When we
spend time in prayer, and if we allow God, his Spirit will come and rest upon us, to give us his peace and fill us so that we can bless others. - Prayer = God Speaks
After Jesus prays, God speaks two things to him. ‘You are my son whom I love’ and ‘with you I am well pleased’. What an incredible thing to hear, especially as Jesus was about to be led out into the desert where he would be tempted, but his
identity was assured.When we pray, do we expect to hear God speak? We may not always get the audible voice, but God speaks in many ways, mainly through the Bible, sermons, creation, pictures, and other people. Perhaps God wants to speak through you to others, to be an answer to prayer or simply to bring blessing.
We should expect God to speak more, to allow our hearts and minds to receive all he wants to say. My simple prayer is this:
“Lord Jesus, when you prayed things happened! Heaven opened, the Spirit came upon you and the Father spoke. May we also experience the same. Amen.”
– Mark.
