As He Prays

As He Prays

As He is, so are we in this world. 1 John 4:17, NKJV

JESUS’ DISCIPLES ASKED HIM to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1), and he answered with a model prayer. He followed it with a humorous illustration of perseverance; instructions about asking, seeking, and knocking until we receive, find, and enter open doors; and some reassuring words about the good intentions of our very kind and generous Father. It’s a marvelous section of Scripture that packs a lot of prayer principles and truths into a short conversation. It gives us a lot to go on.

But Jesus didn’t just teach about prayer. He modeled it. He withdrew to be alone so he could talk to the Father without interruption. He thanked God for the people who opened their hearts to his message. He told people he only said what he heard the Father saying and did what he saw the Father doing, suggesting some pretty vivid divine conversations. He prayed for people’s forgiveness, blessed food, spoke miracles into being, interceded for wavering disciples, and much more. If anyone had a powerful, fruitful, effective prayer life, it was Jesus.

If only we were like him, we might think. Yet that’s our calling—to be just like him, to be conformed to his image, to be “as he is” in this world. In other words, we are the spitting image of our Master, invited to do his works, speak his words, experience his power, be filled with his Spirit, walk in his ways, and bear his fruit. If Jesus had a remarkably powerful prayer life, so can we. That’s our calling. We should never settle for anything less.

That means that when we experience less—and we so often do—we should make it a point to pursue more, draw closer to him, submit ourselves to his purposes, pray for his power, and keep growing into his image until we experience the kinds of intercession and answers he experienced. We should read the Gospels eagerly and expectantly to discover the keys to a Spirit-saturated life like the one Jesus showed us. We should hunger and be filled again and again, just as with our physical meals. He will guide us as we learn. As he prays, so can we pray in this world.

A Christian should be a striking likeness of Jesus Christ.