Prayer Revolution: A 14-Day DevotionalEgzanp

Jesus’ Prayer Life Was Inspirational 

Jesus not only prayed—His prayer life was contagious: “Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples’” (Luke 11:1).

The disciples had just returned from a mission trip. They preached the gospel, healed the sick, and fought demonic forces. They were excited by their ministry but had awakened to the enormous challenges before them. Prayer moved them from pious practice to urgent necessity. Hungry for Jesus’ power and peace, the disciples turned to the Great Teacher to learn His secret of advancing the kingdom.

When believers leave the safe confines of the local church, they discover the deep joys and great challenges of the harvest field. This brings a growing hunger for prayer. Those who step forth in obedience to the mission urgently seek out Christ to teach them how to pray.

Jesus Cleansed the Temple Because of Prayer

Jesus was hailed as Messiah as He entered into Jerusalem before His crucifixion. Descending from the Mount of Olives, He surveyed the city and wept. The city had no eyes or heart for His coming, and Jesus prophesied terrible judgments on the city and its inhabitants: “Your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you . . . because you did not know the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:43–44).

The next day, Jesus entered the temple and, eaten up by jealousy for God’s honor, His words of judgment became actions of wrath: “He entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, ‘It is written, “My house shall be a house of prayer,” but you have made it a den of robbers’” (Luke 19:45–46). At the temple, we see Jesus as we have never seen Him before.

He held court, pronounced the verdict, and executed the judgment of God. The reason for His fury was straightforward but profound. God intended for His temple to be a place for all nations to gather in prayer. All the splendor of this building, the temple service, teaching, and sacrifices meant nothing if prayer for the nations was missing.

The same holds true today. The cleansing of the temple is a monumental call to prayer for all time. Building projects, Sunday services, excellent programs, and offerings of money and time mean nothing if we are not building the Father’s house on prayer for a lost world.

Jesus Prepared for the Cross with Prayer

Jesus could not have faced the cross without prayer. He did not set aside His human nature to bear our sin; He faced the cross in His full humanity in order to be our sacrificial representative. As He cried out in prayer, His approaching suffering was more than He could possibly bear: “Being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44).

Jesus was only able to face His greatest challenge by collapsing before His Father in prayer. How much more do we need to face the most significant challenges of life and death by crying out to our Father?

Jesus Forgave His Enemies with Prayer

The challenge of forgiveness is in proportion to the cost of forgiveness. It is no challenge to forgive a nickel debt; it is a considerable challenge to forgive a million-dollar debt. The highest cost of forgiveness is to forgive someone for taking a life. Jesus settled the debts of forgiveness because He paid the highest price: “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ And they cast lots to divide his garments” (Luke 23:34).

The greater the injury done to us, the greater the need for us to ask again and again for Christ’s spirit of forgiving prayer. An unknown poet put it this way:

“Forgiving again?” I asked in dismay. “Must I keep forgiving and forgiving always?”

“No,” said the angel, whose eye pierced me through. “Stop forgiving when the Savior stops forgiving you.”

Jesus Surrendered His Soul Through Prayer

Jesus began His ministry in prayer, and He ended His ministry in prayer:

"It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!' And having said this he breathed his last.” (Luke 23:44–46)

Christ's cosmic prayer of surrender on the cross expressed His final release and paramount accomplishment for humankind. Prayer and surrender are synonymous—all true and effective prayer commits our spirit into the hands of God.

Jesus Prayed Blessing upon His Followers at His Ascension

As He ascended to His eternal reign, Jesus lifted His hands to pray: “He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:50–51).

His hands are lifted still! He ever lives to pray His resurrection blessings upon His people (see Rom. 8:34). We are never more like the risen and exalted Christ than when we bless others in intercession.