Living The Psalms With Jesus: Grow Closer To God Through PrayerНамуна

"Jesus' Prayer Life"

It was clear to the disciples that Jesus’ power to heal the sick, to preach about the kingdom with such power, and to love the unlovable came from somewhere deeper. Because they followed him and lived with him, they could see that his whole life was in step with God. Jesus was constantly going off on his own to spend time with the Father, praying the Psalms, and returning to do great things. As his disciples, they were expected to become like their rabbi. Seeing that his power came from a life of prayer, they exclaimed, “Lord! Teach us to pray!”

Jesus’ response was what we, today, call The Lord’s Prayer or The Our Father Prayer, a simple guide to resting in the provision of God. It begins with the phrase “Our Father.” You may find it interesting that, to the disciples, Jesus calling God “Father” was a surprise. It wasn’t like the Pharisees who handled God with white gloves. Jesus called God not only “Father” but also “our Father,” meaning that he is Father to all listening.

This prayer teaches us that looking to God as a loving Father rather than a distant deity is the heartbeat of praying like Jesus. Too often as believers, we try to carry on in our discipleship without the deep feeling and knowledge of God’s love. We simply try harder, and that often makes things worse. The first thing we want to learn about living in the Psalms like Jesus is the importance of a prayer life. Jesus was incredibly busy but always put his communion with the Father first.

Prayer: Dear Father, I don’t always give you the time needed to grow closer to you and give you space in my heart and mind to become the person you designed me to be. You are my priority. Show me how to pray. Amen.