Regular Respiration
Hearing, reading, study and meditation of the word of God combine to form the first spiritual exercise. Prayer is the second spiritual exercise.
One of the major reasons for lack of godliness is prayerlessness. Do you long to train as a godly person? Remember, whatever else you do and, however, many Christian meetings you attend there can be no real progress towards godliness unless you give time to prayer. Prayer was a regular practice of Jesus. “So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.” (Lk 5:16)
Prayers Of Jesus
1. Luke stresses more than the other gospel writers the place of prayer in the life and ministry of Jesus. When the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at the Jordan, He was “praying” (3:21); sometimes He withdrew from the multitudes “and prayed” (5:16), and He “continued all night in prayer” before choosing the 12 disciples (6:12). He was “alone praying” before He asked His disciples an important question (9:18); at His transfiguration He climbed the mountain “to pray” (9:28), the actual transfiguration occurred “as he prayed” (9:29); and He “was praying” just before He taught the disciples the Lord’s Prayer (11:1).
In Gethsemane He “prayed more earnestly” (22:44); on the cross He prayed for others (23:34); and the last word He uttered before His death was a prayer (23:46). Luke also records that Jesus prayed after His resurrection (24:30).
2. In examining the life of Jesus in the other gospels, we note that He prayed before extending the invitation: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,” (Mat 11:25-28); He prayed at Lazarus’s tomb (John 11:41–42) and during the institution of the Lord’s Supper (John 17). “And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there,” (Mat 14:23).
Prayed … alone. While on earth, Jesus often sought time to be alone with God (cf. Mark 1:35; 6:46; Luke 5:16; 6:12; 9:18; 22:41-42; Heb 5:7). Time alone with God is essential to spiritual well-being. The lack of desire for solitary prayer to and communion with our heavenly Father is an unmistakable sign that our spiritual lives are in decline. When this happens, we must turn from all that offends the Lord and renew our commitment to seeking God and His grace for our daily lives (see Luke 18:1).
Paul’s Request (Read Eph 6:18-20; Col 4:2-4)
“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints — 19: And for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. 20: For which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak,” (Eph 6:18-20).
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