No doubt, thousands upon thousands of believers have sincerely sang that song from their hearts in moments of glorious worship when the presence of Christ was so near and so real. I am one of them. The question is: in what way are we to be most like Him? An earnest look at Jesus’ life in the four gospels gives us the answer. It’s His prayer life.
You cannot read the four gospels without seeing Jesus alone with His Father, drawing new strength and faithfully interceding for His apprentice disciples that would come to turn the world upside down. Christ’s public ministry lasted only 3 ½ short years, but it began with a full 40 days of intense prayer which was crucial for Him to fulfill His divine mission! The following four passages display the fundamental source of Christ’s spectacular power in preaching the Kingdom, healing the sick, opening blind eyes and deaf ears, cleansing the lepers, casting out devils, raising the dead, defending the helpless and restoring the fallen. These verses have had a profound effect upon my own personal prayer life as they do on all who desire to “be like Jesus”!
“And when he had sent the multitudes away, Jesus went up into a mountain apart to pray; and when the evening was come, He was there alone” (Matthew 14:23)
“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, Jesus went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” (Mark 1:35)
“And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12)
“These words spoke Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, And this is life eternal, that they might know You, the only true God…” (John 17:1)
All four of these verses indicate four central factors concerning Christ’s prayer-life:
1. He found a quiet, isolated place- Jesus went out and departed into a solitary place
2. There was no one with Him as He prayed- (And when the evening was come, Jesus was there alone)
3.He spent much time in prayer- (Jesus continued all night in prayer to God)
4. He prayed for others- (I pray not for the world, but for them which You have given to Me; Neither do I pray for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one)
So there you have it—Jesus, the Son of God, kept in constant communication with His Father in order to have clear revelation of His calling and a continual supply of anointing power to accomplish victory over the devil and His enemies. How much more do you and I need to be privately on our knees with the world shut out, much alone with God interceding for others? Then, and only then, brothers and sisters, will we obtain the same miracle working power to transform lives, that was perpetually activated in Christ, the Man of Prayer, our awesome Intercessor!
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