During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, Jesus offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Jesus prayed and petitioned his Father, he learned how to pray himself and he offers us salvation, if we are willing to follow?

Firstly, we see that Jesus offered up prayers and requests to God. There are moments in Jesus’ life, recorded in the Bible, when Jesus prayed to his father. Examples of this are when Jesus prayed just before he was baptised and the Bible records that Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to spend time in prayer as well as praying when crowds gathered around him. Jesus prayed all through the night before choosing his disciples illustrating that He prayed before making a big decision.

Jesus often went to the same spot on the mount of Olives to pray where he prays for his disciples and on one occasion, he prays to his Father in heaven surrendering to God asking, ‘Not my will but your will be done’, Luke 22:42. Some of us have places where we go to spend time with God in a familiar place or taking time for a retreat.

Ephesians 6 v 18 says, ‘Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people’. Jesus encourages us to pray in every aspect of our lives, in happy times and when things are difficult.

Secondly in v 8 it says, ‘Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered’,

In the Life of Jesus, he learned obedience to God, and would be in pain for example, when Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, Luke records Jesus being in anguish, and he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. He persevered in saying “yes” to the Father all the way to the point of death as our sacrifice for sin. Even on the cross Jesus prayed Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. (Luke 23v 34).

In our own lives people around us, experience pain and suffering. In the book entitled ‘Too busy not to pray,’ the author wrote ‘I can write about prayer, you can read about prayer, but sooner or later you have to fall to your knees and just plain pray. Then, and only then, will you begin to operate in the vein of God’s miracle-working ways’.

Thirdly in Hebrews 5 v 9 it says and ‘once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him’. In Paul’s letter to the Romans it says, ‘If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Romans 10 v 9-10).

We can see today Jesus prayed throughout his life, to do the Father’s will, in order for us, to have this eternal Salvation. Today, I have used the Methodist catechism to conclude with, to suggest what our prayers should include.

Adoration – we praise and worship God for what he is.

Confession – we come to God in penitence, admitting what we are and seeking his forgiveness.

Intercession – we pray to God on behalf of others.

Petition – we pray to God about our own needs and concerns.

Thanksgiving – we thank him for all that he has given us, especially for our Salvation in Jesus Christ.

Meditation – we reflect quietly on the nature of God and what he has done and wait for him to speak to us.

We have an opportunity to be reminded again of the importance of prayer in our daily lives. Amen