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Jesus Calls Us to Live in a Prayerful Manner
 Jesus instructs us in Luke
18:1, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. The Bible enjoins us to
pray without ceasing. Praying is the way we can speak correctly
to the God of all grace. Jesus called His followers to live in prayerful and
powerful manner.
We should persistently pray at all times.
Jesus' illustration of persistence in prayer involved a widow who was
appealing for help from an unjust judge. At first, the judge had no interest in
assisting her. However, when she persisted, he relented and gave her relief.
"Though I do not fear God nor regard man, because this widow troubles
me I will avenge her, lest by
her continual coming she weary
me" (Luke 18:4-5). The ungodly judge granted her relief,
although he was not motivated by fear of God or by compassion for man. His
action was merely self-serving. Jesus then contrasts the holy motivations of
our loving God, who will certainly respond to the needs of His chosen ones, as
they call upon His name ceaselessly. "And shall God
not avenge His own elect who cry
out day and night to Him?" (Luke 18:7). The Lord Jesus hereby encourages us to pray
without ceasing.
Jesus' call to a life of persistent prayer was
commended to us by His own example. "Now in the morning,
having risen a long while before daylight, He
went out and departed to a solitary place; and
there He prayed" (Mark 1:35). Early in the inspired recordings of the
ministry of Jesus, His habit of prayer is noted. At times, Jesus was up before
dawn for extended prayer with the Father. On another occasion, He prayed the
entire night through. "Now it came to pass in those days that He went
out to the mountain to pray, and continued
all night in prayer to God" (Luke 6:12).
In addition to His rich private
prayer life, Jesus prayed regularly in public as well. At that time Jesus
answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that
You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have
revealed them to babes." (Matthew 11:25) "Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and
looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them
to the disciples to set before the multitude. (Luke 9:16) "And Jesus
lifted up His eyes and said, 'Father, I thank You that You have heard
Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are
standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent
Me.'" (John 11:41-42)If Jesus, the Son of God prayed habitually,
how clearly we are to do the same.
Dear
Lord Jesus, we want to heed Your radical call to a path of unceasing prayer. We
want to follow Your wonderful example of a life of habitual prayer - in private
and in public.
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Rev. Telema W. Okobi