Grace Church Prayer Ministry

"Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I will say, rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is at hand.  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:4-7).

Jesus was God incarnate, yet He found it vital to pray while on earth.  As we search Scripture to better understand God's plan and purpose for prayer, we are struck by the amount of time Jesus spent in prayer.  Why did He pray so much?  What was His purpose?  How did He pray?  And about what did He Pray?  Certainly Jesus didn't need to tell God what He needed.  Yet, He constantly sought His Father's will.  He knew that constant contact with His Father was necessary for every situation. 

Jesus said, "The world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me." (John 14:31).  Matthew records that "Jesus went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray." (Matthew 14:23).  Mark stated that "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed" (Mark 1:35).  In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said to those with Him, "Sit here while I go there and pray" (Matthew 26:36).