Prayers of Jesus THE LORD'S PRAYER PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING CHRIST'S HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER PASSOVER PRAYERS PRAYERS FROM THE CROSS The recorded Prayers of Jesus (blue italics) are relatively few in number but from their words there is much for Christians to learn. When in a Group Study one section per session, with time for discussion, is suggested. After reading all the Prayers of Jesus (Full Version), you may like to make your own little book using the Bible references given. On completion, you will have your own written record of all the Prayers of Jesus. Alternatively, you could use the Lined Version.
PRAYERS OF JESUS CONTENTS (FULL VERSION) The Prayers of Jesus Jesus Prays The Lord's Prayer Prayers of Thanksgiving The Raising of Lazarus Passover Prayers The Last Supper The High Priestly Prayer The Garden of Gethsemane Prayers from the Cross The Last Prayer of Jesus
JESUS PRAYS Jesus was constantly in an attitude of prayer to His heavenly Father and often in a solitary place; leaving his disciples alone. They noticed Jesus rose early to pray and on many occasions this was before dawn. Also, it was His custom to spend even whole nights in prayer under the stars. Before the start of His crowded days, it was the habit of Jesus to commune with His Father. Jesus prayed regularly each day seeking the Father's will and always before times of special significance in His brief three-year ministry His Baptism, Choosing the Twelve Disciples, on the Mt. of Transfiguration, the Garden of Gethsemane and finally - the Cross. In all four Gospels, Jesus taught the disciples much about prayer. Jesus began His day with prayer and for Christians starting the day with a quiet time of prayer is best, although not always possible according to individual circumstances. It should be noted that an orchestra tunes up at the commencement of a concert before the Overture and not after the end of the recital or the encore!
THE PRAYERS OF JESUS The Lord's Prayer is to found both in St. Matthew's Gospel in the Sermon on the Mount and in the Gospel of St. Luke. Observing Jesus praying to His Heavenly Father, prompted the disciples to ask the Lord to teach them about prayer. Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples. Luke 11: 1 Jesus replied with these well-known and best loved words: When you pray, say: THE LORD'S PRAYER Our Father, Who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Matthew 6: 9-13, Luke 11: 2-4 Perhaps the Lord's Prayer should more aptly be called the Disciples' Prayer. It stands alone in its significance being the only prayer given to His disciples to pray. It is a perfect prayer and the most frequently used when Christians the world over meet to pray.
PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING Jesus' attitude in prayer was always one of thankfulness. THE FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND Jesus gave thanks when he uttered brief words of thanksgiving before the miraculous feeding of the four thousand and also the five thousand as He blessed the five loaves and the two small fishes. Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. John 6: 11 A.V. Another of Jesus' prayers of thanksgiving concerned God's salvation revealed to babes and concealed from those wise in their own eyes. I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have concealed these things from the wise, and revealed them to babes. Luke 10: 21 Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, RAISING OF LAZARUS Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. Yes, I know You always hear and listen to Me, but I have said this for the benefit of the people standing around, so that they may believe that You did send Me. When He had said this, He shouted with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! John 11:41-43 As Lazarus walked out of the tomb, many believed that Jesus was the Christ, the long-awaited Messiah.
THE FEAST OF PASSOVER PRAYERS On the day remembered as Palm Sunday, Jesus rode on a donkey into Jerusalem. He was acclaimed by the crowds, waving palm branches, coming to worship at the Temple. Hosanna! Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel! John 12: 13 Even so, Jesus knew that the time had nearly come for His crucifixion when He would be glorified and exalted. He was deeply troubled in His spirit and prayed - Father, save Me from this hour. But it was for this very purpose that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify Your own name! Then there came a voice out of heaven saying, I have already glorified it, and I will glorify it again. John 12: 27, 28 THE LAST SUPPER Before the meal, Jesus gave a great example of lowly service to His disciples when He took a towel and washed their feet. At the Passover meal, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them saying: This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me Luke 22: 19 And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, Drink of it, all of you; For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26: 26-28 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Mark 14: 26
THE HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER Read John Chapter 17 This is the longest prayer of our Lord. Jesus prayed these words on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane, with His disciples, before the agony of His suffering began. It was a prayer of intercession for those He had come to save that they may be all one. His close communion with His Father as revealed in the words of His High Priestly Prayer, help us to understand the greatness and the glory of Jesus, the Son of God. In His High Priestly Prayer, Jesus lifted up His eyes to heaven and prayed - Father, the hour has come, glorify Your Son, so that Your Son may glorify and magnify You. John 17: 1 To give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. John 17: 2 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those You have given Me, for they belong to You. John 17: 9 They may be one as We are one. My joy may be in them. John 17: 11b John 17: 13a I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one. John 17: 15 I have given them Your word - make them holy by Truth; Your word is Truth. John 17: 14, 17 Just as You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. John 17: 18 Neither for these alone do I pray, but also for all those who will come to believe in Me through their word. John 17: 20 That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. John 17: 21 I have given to them the glory which You have given Me, that they may be one as We are one. John 17: 22 I have made Your name known to them, that the love You have bestowed on Me may be in them and that I may be in them. John 17: 26
THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE Jesus and His disciples crossed the Kidron valley to an olive grove on the Mount of Olives, known as the Garden of Gethsemane. There, Jesus called upon Peter, James and John to watch with Him for one hour, while he prayed a stone's throw away. Burdened with deep sorrow in His soul, Jesus prayed: Abba, Father, Everything is possible for You. Take away this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will. Mark 14: 36 On returning to His disciples, Jesus found them asleep. In exhaustion, they just could not watch with Him one hour. After leaving them to pray the same words, Jesus returned again to find them sleeping. And yet again, returning after praying the third time, Jesus found the disciples once more asleep. But now it was too late, for "Jesus' hour had come," as Judas arrived, with an armed company, to betray Him with the sign of a kiss! PRAYERS FROM THE CROSS When they came to the place which is called The Skull (Latin - Calvary; Hebrew - Golgotha), there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. Luke 23: 33 And the inscription of the accusation against Him was written The King of the Jews. Mark 15: 26 Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Luke 23: 34 Now from the sixth hour (noon) there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice - Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, Why have You abandoned Me? Matthew 27: 45, 46 The separation from His heavenly Father was the greatest suffering on the Cross. When Jesus bore our sins, God, the Father, could no longer behold His Son; but had to turn His face away.
THE DEATH OF JESUS The recorded prayers of Jesus end with these words Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit! Luke 23: 46 And Jesus cried again with a loud voice It is finished! And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. John 19: 30b With this triumphant cry, on the day called Good Friday, Jesus finished His saving work the very reason He had been sent. You shall call His name Jesus, which means Saviour, for He will save His people from their sins. Matthew 1: 21 For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes on Him shall not die but have eternal life. John 3: 16 The Lord Jesus Christ loves you and gave His life for you. If you have never before decided to follow Jesus, you have a choice now to give your life back to Him. Here are the words of a prayer you can say now in your heart, if your choice is to follow Him and trust Him always for the rest of your life. Heavenly Father, I am sorry for all the wrong things I have done. Please forgive me and thank You, Lord Jesus, for dying on the cross to take away my sins and for the gift of everlasting life. Please come into my life with Your Holy Spirit; giving me Your love, peace and joy. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.'
BELIEVER S BLESSING The blessing of God, the Father, be upon you. The gracious blessing of His only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, the anointed One, Worshipped and adored. And the blessing of the Holy Spirit be unto you - Called, forgiven and sanctified; His grace and mercy, peace and love be multiplied. (The words of the Believer s Blessing are based on the first 2 verses of the Letter of Jude). To those who are called, dearly loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you. Jude 1, 2 NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT 'Scriptures taken, unless otherwise stated, from THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE, Old Testament copyright, 1965, 1987 by The Zondervan Corporation. The Amplified New Testament copyright 1958, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.