Jesus: A Man of Prayer in Luke's Gospel

The Gospel of Luke Presents Jesus as a Man of Prayer

The theme of prayer

No other gospel has emphasized the theme of prayer as much as the gospel of Luke. Luke 5:15-16 says, "The report about Him [Jesus] spread all the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to Him and to be cured of their ailments, but He would withdraw to deserted places to pray."

The gospel of Luke presents its readers with the Person of Jesus not only as a man of prayer, but as One who teaches the importance of prayer by His own example. Though the Lord was very active in His itinerant preaching, teaching and healing many people, He would still take time away from His companions and the people to pray to His Father in deserted places.

What is prayer according to Jesus Christ?

In Luke 11, Jesus teaches a very important form of prayer: the Our Father. He continues to teach that prayer is to be persistent and persevering in its spirit if it is to be heard.

In Luke 11:5-8, he tells the story of a man whose home was already locked up for the night. A friend suddenly made a visit to his house, and implored the man to open up and help him. Though it was already night and his home was all locked up, by his friend's persistence, he had to comply to the need of his friend.

The prayer of every Christian must ask, search, and knock at the door of God's Heart (11:9-10). Persistence in this prayer will give the Holy Spirit, who strengthens in times of difficulty (Luke 11:13). One must never give up on a life of prayer, for one will surely receive from God the good that is needed through one's perseverance and persistence.

Ask and you will receive

After that parable on persistence in prayer, another teaching is the importance of faith in prayer. This can be seen in Luke 11:9-13. Luke writes: "And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." To pray with faith is to believe in God who only wills what is best for us. If man who is sinful knows how to give good things to his children, how much more will God the Father give His Holy Spirit to all who ask of Him?

Summary of eight references to Jesus as a man of prayer in Luke

• Luke 3:21 - "After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying,..."
• Luke 5:16 - "...but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray."
• Luke 6:12 - "In those days he departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God."
• Luke 9:18 - "Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him..."
• Luke 11:1 - "He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished..."
• Luke 22:32 - "...but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers."
• Luke 23:34 - "[Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."]
• Luke 23:46 - "Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Father, into your hands I commend my spirit'"

Prayer in the context of exhortation and warning

Luke's gospel also contains exhortations and warnings that calls all believers to make their prayer humble. One exhortation is in Luke 18:13 - involving the prayer of the Pharisee and the Publican. True prayer is being humble and asking the Lord for mercy.

Another reference is Luke 21:36. This verse shows how Jesus exhorts his disciples to be vigilant at all times and to pray that they will have the strength to escape the tribulations that are coming at the time of judgment.

A third warning is found in Luke 22:40, the scene of the Agony in the Garden. Here Jesus stated explicitly, "Pray that you may not undergo the test." The emphasis of this exhortation to prayer is to be forewarned of a time of testing and the danger of entering into temptation.

On the theme of prayer in the Book of Acts

Biblical scholars' studies present the gospel of Luke as a two-volume work and called the book, Luke-Acts, which includes the book of the Acts of the Apostles. One proof that the book of Acts is a continuation of the gospel of Luke is the similar theme of prayer and praying found and mentioned many times in the Acts of the Apostles. In fact, the words prayer/praying is referred to twenty-five times in the book.

Prayer is an essential element in the Christian life

The symbol of prayer and sacrifice in the gospel of Luke is an ox. An ox is an animal of sacrifice that is used by the Jews in the Old Testament. Prayer and sacrifice go together.

But even if prayer is an important theme in the gospel of Luke, those passages in Luke have parallels in the gospel of Mark and Matthew, because Mark, Matthew, and Luke are synoptic gospels - meaning they have common passages. One can examine and review these gospel parallels through the footnotes of any Bible translation.

What does Jesus as a man of prayer mean for the faithful?

If Jesus was a man of prayer, then all Christians are called to be men and women of prayer (and action). Prayer is not only for supplication, thanksgiving, adoration or contrition. It is also a vital element in the process of discernment - a process wherein one seeks the will of God among various alternatives and options in order to choose the best and to act on it. Prayer prepares the mind, heart, and soul to be more receptive to know God's will and to apply it in one's work and life. Often, the basis for prayer in this process are the gospels. (St. Ignatius of Loyola has discovered the rules that are important for making a decision through a good discernment process.)

Jesus is our model par excellence for understanding how this process of prayer and discernment works. Jesus prayed especially during times when he needed to make important decisions. He prayed and discerned well before choosing His apostles. He also prayed many times for the Father's guidance during his ministry. And most especially, He prayed, with blood as His sweat, when He was to undergo His Passion.

All Christians, who are called to follow Jesus, are called to pray as Jesus did. Prayer can help resist temptation; praying with perseverance and persistence will encourage anyone not to give up; praying with humility and begging God's mercy and forgiveness will help one's work and life be right in the eyes of God and others; praying for the strength to overcome hardships and hurdle obstacles is also important in work and life; but most of all praying daily to learn God's will is the most practical form of prayer, because it leads one to the right decisions and actions - decisions and actions that are based on one's love for Christ, His gospel, and the Church. [Disclaimer]