Gtcotr/ss090218
There
is a total of 66 Books in the Bible which were written over a span of 1600
years by 40 different authors as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit across three continents. The Old Testament
contains 39 books while there are 27 books in New Testament. The 31,102
combined verses tell but one story and each verse is but a piece to the puzzle
revealing the one picture God wants us all to see.
When
we see several verses pointing at the same subject we draw but one conclusion …
that subject is very important to God. Especially when those verses center
around the main character of the Bible, Jesus.
This
morning I want us to stick with one subject: Prayer; in the life of only one
person: Jesus; as recorded in this one book: The Gospel of Luke; and draw just
one conclusion. We will make that conclusion later … but for now, let’s take a
look at:
Prayer
in the life of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke.
Luke 3:21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that
Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.
Luke 5:16 So He Himself often
withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
Luke 6:12 Now it came to pass
in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night
in prayer to God.
Luke 9:18 And it happened, as
He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them,
saying, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"
Luke 9:28 Now it came to
pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James
and went up on the mountain to pray.
Luke 9:29 As He prayed, the
appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and
glistening.
Luke 11:1 Now it came to
pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of
His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught
his disciples."
Luke 22:32 "But I have
prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me,
strengthen your brethren."
Luke 22:41 And He was
withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed,
Luke 22:44 And being in
agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of
blood falling down to the ground.
Luke 22:45 When He rose up from
prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.
It
is evident Jesus prayed and He prayed a lot. With so great a testimony from
only one book of the Bible, what is the one conclusion we can draw?
Since
Jesus, the Son of God, felt He needed prayer and was so committed to prayer, it
stands to reason we should pray also.
But
how does Jesus want us to pray? I’m glad you asked … back to Luke:
Luke 10:2 Then He said to
them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few;
therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Luke 11
2 So He said to them,
"When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your
kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
3 Give us day by day our
daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into
temptation, But deliver us from the evil one."
Luke 18:1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to
pray and not lose heart.
Luke 19:46 saying to them,
"It is written, ’My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a
’den of thieves.’"
Luke 21:36 "Watch
therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these
things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."
Luke 22:40 When He came to
the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into
temptation."
Luke 22:46 Then He said to
them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into
temptation."
Now
let’s go out committed to a great week of prayer …
