Imitating Jesus series
2. We desire:
To pray as Jesus prayed One of the verses which has profoundly challenged my life is recorded in Acts 6:4. It points to the two great priorities of the apostles’ ministry; ‘and we will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word’. I thank God for this deeply embedded value in our movement as Queensland Baptists, which lifts high the priority of the word of God in our preaching, teaching and personal lives. I thank God for the continued emphasis on excellent biblical training in our colleges so we remain churches committed to the Word of God. But it was not just the Word the apostles made a priority; it was also prayer. In fact, of these two key responsibilities, prayer is mentioned first. This, I believe, is the greatest challenge for me personally and in the churches where we worship and serve: to keep prayer, along with the Word, our central focus. It is not difficult to see why the apostles placed such a high priority on prayer. Its significance in the life and ministry of Jesus is profound. When you read the gospels you find Jesus engaging in a life of continual prayer. Survey some of the accounts which specifically mention Jesus praying, or listen to what Jesus said about prayer, and you can be in no doubt about how important it is for us (as it was for the apostles) to engage in prayer as our first priority. Luke records in his gospel that it was as Jesus ‘was praying’, he was transfigured and then spoke to Moses and Elijah about what lay ahead in his journey (Luke 9:29-31). It’s in the place of prayer where we are able to look at our world and look at the purpose of our lives from heaven’s perspective. God is sovereign and nothing can stop his plans unfolding. As we pray, the realities of the spiritual world come into proper focus and we are assured of the supremacy and love of our heavenly Father. Luke also makes clear that when Jesus chose the twelve disciples, he had spent the previous night praying to God (Luke 6:12). It’s in the place of prayer that the Holy Spirit communicates the mind and will of God the Father. We see this same link in the early church, where as the leaders at Antioch 24
April 2011 www.qb.com.au
worshipped and fasted, they were told by the Holy Spirit to set apart Barnabas and Saul for missionary service (Acts 13:1-3). Godly decisions and choices are always preceded by prayer. In the gospel of Mark, we are told of the occasion when Jesus’ disciples failed to drive out an evil spirit. In reply to the question concerning their lack of success, Jesus answered, ‘This kind can come out only by prayer’ (Mark 9:29). Jesus knew that if we neglect prayer and rely on ministry techniques or human capabilities, then we will be rendered ineffective in the spiritual battle. As we pray, the fullness of God’s power to liberate and heal is displayed. And in the most significant of all Jesus’ prayer experiences, as the cross loomed large, we read of Jesus going to the place of prayer. In the garden of Gethsemane, as Jesus contemplated the suffering which lay before him, he chose to submit his will to that of his Father’s. The intensity of the spiritual battle was so great, it called for the strengthening presence of an angel (Luke 22:42-43). Prayer is the place where we are strengthened in times of great suffering and sacrifice, to choose God’s will and not our own. The same apostles, who had once slept while Jesus prayed, now knew that they must pray as Jesus prayed...and so must we. It’s in prayer that we discover the confidence and hope of heaven’s perspective, are able to discern the leading of the Holy Spirit, are granted divine resources to powerfully minister and find the grace and strength to obey and overcome. If that’s what results as we pray, then who wouldn’t want to pray, ‘Help me Lord to pray as you prayed’? Peter Sweetman Bridgeman Baptist