Jesus prays. Should that go without saying? Prayer, in its simplest definition, is talking to God. What is Jesus praying for?
Jesus Prays for Provision & Multiplication
One of the more famous stories of Jesus’ miracles is the feeding of five thousand men (plus women and children) found in Matthew 14. Jesus just found out that his cousin John (the Baptist) had been killed by King Herod. He quietly slipped away by boat, but the crowds figured it out, and they followed him. By the time he hit the shore, groups of people were awaiting him. Instead of continuing his planned time of solitude, he ministered to the people.
Matthew 14:14 says:
“So when Jesus landed, he had a huge crowd waiting for him. Seeing so many people, his heart was deeply moved with compassion toward them, so he healed all the sick who were in the crowd.” (TPT)
The Passion Translation notes that the Aramaic translation reads, “he nurtured them in love and cured their frailties.”
While Jesus loved on the people, his disciples informed him that it was getting late and no one had eaten. They urged Jesus to disperse the masses so they could go to the nearby villages to buy food. Jesus was having none of that!
“Then he had everyone sit down on the grass, and he then took the five loaves and two fish. He looked up into heaven, gave thanks to God, and broke the bread into pieces. He then gave it to his disciple, who in turn gave it to the crowds. And everyone ate until they were satisfied, for the food was multiplied in front of their eyes! They picked up the leftovers and filled up twelve baskets full!” (Matt 14: 19-20 TPT)
Rather than requiring the people to leave and fend for themselves, Jesus prays and multiplies what they have. Although this scripture doesn’t use the word “pray,” it does say that Jesus looked to heaven and gave thanks to God. Thanking God is a type of prayer, and this prayer releases a multiplication of the food. Everyone had enough, but they also had more than enough! There were twelve baskets and twelve disciples, meaning each man brought back a basket of leftovers.
Jesus Prays For The Next Generation
Matthew 19:13:
“Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them.” (NIV).
Jesus was a popular guy, and parents brought their children to him for prayer. Did you notice that Jesus was putting his hands on them as he prayed? It was a prevalent biblical practice that is still used in churches today. It is often done when a person needs healing and other times for general prayer.
If we go back to the Old Testament, we will see that the laying on of hands was used for many things. When animals were sacrificed, some required a person or priest’s hands to be put on them. Other times it was for commissioning and healing, and in the New Testament, it was also a way of imparting Holy Spirit. In Genesis 48:17, Jacob used the laying on of hands to release a blessing. While the scripture in Matthew doesn’t say why Jesus placed his hands on the children, I would guess that he released a blessing over them. He prayed for the next generation that inherited the earth.
Jesus Prays for Us – The Future
In Matthew 17, Jesus is coming to the end of his time on earth. He is well aware of this and begins praying for himself, his disciples, and us. Due to the length of the chapter and prayers, I will only include a few portions of his prayer for us. (Read it!)
Matthew 17: 20-22
“And I ask not only for these disciples, but also for all those who will one day believe in me through their message. I pray for them all to be joined together as one, even as you and I, Father are joined together as one. I pray for them to become one with us so that the world will recognize that you sent me. For the very glory you have given to me I have given them so that they will be joined together as one and experience the same unity that we enjoy.” (TPT)
I love this passage! Jesus is praying for future generations to be joined together in earthly unity and unity with God. He is also releasing the glory that God gave him to us. Two thousand years before we showed up, Jesus was already on it!
Matthew 17:26
“I have revealed to them who you are, and I will continue to make you even more real to them, so that they may experience the same endless love that you have for me, for your love will now live in them, even as I live in them!”
If this isn’t a prayer of love, I don’t know what is. Jesus states that he will become more real to us so that we may have a more incredible experience of God’s endless love for us. That’s a pretty good prayer!
Once he completes this, he heads to the Garden of Gethsemane, where he will be arrested, and ultimately, put to death. An interesting side note: life began with Adam in the Garden of Eden, which means “paradise.” It was lost through his disobedience. Thousands of years later, Jesus reclaimed that loss in a different garden. The word Gethsemane means “olive press.” Jesus was undoubtedly about to be pressed, and because of his love for us, he endured it all.
Until next time under the palm, be blessed!
