Matthew 6:5-15
The LORD's Prayer
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Mark 1:35
Jesus Prays Early in the Morning and in a Solitary Place
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Luke 5:16
Jesus Often Prayed Alone and in a Lonely Place
16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Luke 6:12-16
Jesus Prays All Night
12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot,16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Luke 9:18
Jesus is Praying in Private, and His Disciples are with Him
18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
Luke 9:28
Jesus Prays with Peter, John, and James
28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.
Luke 18:1-14
Parable of the Persistent Widow
1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
The Parable of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray,one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Matthew 26:36-44
Jesus prays in Gethsemane
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
Jesus believed very much in prayer and prayed often to His Father...There is no better a Teacher of Prayer and to teach about prayer than Jesus...Jesus is a Man of Prayer...Jesus prayed very regularly, and He prayed often, very often...He understands the importance of prayer...He often went out alone and prayed and often prayed in lonely and solitary places...In the LORD's Prayer He first tells us that when we pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others...Jesus said that the hypocrites have received their reward in full...But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen...Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you...And He teaches us that when we pray, we are not to keep talking and babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words...So long prayers are not necessarily the best prayers...Do not be like the babblers who make for long prayers, for your Father in Heaven knows what you need before you even ask Him...
So He prayed often and in private...He did short prayers and also like the night before He chose His Disciples He spent the entire night praying...So He had short prayers and lengthy prayers...One day He took Peter, John, and James with Him up onto a mountain to pray...So we do see that He did not always pray alone, He prayed with others...In Luke chapter nine, verse eighteen, we are told that once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with Him, he asked them a question, “Who do the crowds say I AM?”...So He was praying in private, while His Disciples listened to Him...
As we read these verses on prayer, especially the first part of the LORD's Prayer, it does seems He prefers us praying in private and by ourselves in the privacy of our rooms and quiet places...But we can say also that He liked to pray out in nature, and often prayed on a mountain and in solitary places...
Jesus teaches us to be persistent in our prayers...He also tells us to be humble in our prayers...Jesus told His disciples two parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up, and to keep praying...And in a second parable He teaches us to be humble in prayer...Jesus said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought...And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’...“For some time he refused...But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”...So the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says...And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night?...Will He keep putting them off?...I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly...
Then Jesus follows this persistent prayer with another prayer parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector...There are some who are confident of their own righteousness and look down on others, so Jesus told them this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector...The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector...I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’...“But the tax collector stood at a distance...He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’...“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God...For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”...Jesus wants us to be persistent and humble in our prayers...
As Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, we see He does not pray for His will...Jesus is suffering and anxious the night before His arrest...He would like God to take the anxiety and upcoming suffering -away from Him...But He knows it is God's will that must be done, and not the will of man...And Jesus says this, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me...Yet not as I will, but as You will.”...Jesus knows that it is God who is in control...And it is God's will that must be done on earth and in heaven, just as He taught His Disciples in the LORD's Prayer -and not man's will...