Meditations in the Time of the Virus

The Praying God

There are things Jesus does that no other god could do. One of those things is to pray.

None of the "gods" that human beings have thought of and worshiped is involved in praying. Praying means to look to someone else as God; and then to humble yourself and ask someone who is almighty. For Jesus to pray means that He takes the humble place, stands with us, and kneels down as a genuine human being.

Think about it. No other theory of what God might be like has God kneeling down in humility. And someone would ask, "If God prays, who does He pray to?" They would be right to ask that question.

But Jesus does things that God is not "supposed to do." He refuses to stay where God is "supposed to belong." So there He is hanging around the poor, the diseased, the sinners; and there He is teaching things about God that the rabbis had no idea of; and there He is praying.

Early in the morning (Mark 1:35); out in the wilderness for 40 days while being tempted (Luke 4:1); offering up the mealtime prayer for 5 loaves and 2 fish (Mark 6:41); rejoicing at the kingdom being open to little children (Matthew 11:25-26); after feeding the 5,000 when the crowd wanted to make Him king (John 6:15 & Mark 6:46); and before asking the disciples who He is (Mark 9:18); are just some of the places and patterns of Jesus' prayers. As odd as it sounds, Jesus is the praying God. 

This is a wonderful and absolutely amazing truth. Jesus does not dabble in prayer. He prays, deeply, from the heart, calling out, pleading for our salvation, agonizing in the struggle, and submitting when His Father said "No." In the upper room Jesus told Peter that Peter's salvation was in danger. "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail." (Luke 22:31) In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed with such agony that His sweat became like great drops of blood. (Luke 22:44) The Letter to the Hebrews describes it as, "Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears". (Hebrews 5:7) And after three times asking His Father to take away the cup of suffering, Jesus then went to arrest, trial and the cross. 

Jesus prays. To the full measure He prays, knowing the glorious answers and the prayer that seems to meet with silence. Jesus prayed -- as one of us with all that means.

But even as Jesus humbled Himself in obedience "unto death, even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:8); with the prayers that came from the cross, "Father forgive them ..." and "My God, ... why have You forsaken Me?" -- that does not change the fact that He is God. Jesus stilled the storm, healed the sick, sometimes with only a command, and raised Lazarus from the dead (after, by the way, having an intimate, deliberately overheard, conversation with His Father about what they were doing). (John11:41-42)

The Athanasian Creed says, "Equal to the Father, according to His Godhead" Why then, in Jesus, do we find God doing such uncharacteristic things for God. The answer is wonderful.

Jesus became one of us so He could know human life and do human things. Those human things still include: He prays and He worships. During His earthly ministry Jesus walked by faith. So we have an amazing privilege. As Christians we get to pray to the God who doesn't just listen to prayers; He prays like us and joins in praying with us. Who better to bring your prayers to; than The Praying God, the One True God who knows prayer from this side of it.

It is an astonishing step, a thing never imagined in the whole history of human beings crafting and designing religion. But there it is. God has done the unimaginable. Jesus is the Praying God who hears prayers as only a praying God can.

Lord Jesus, thank You for being one of us, for being my Brother even as You are my Savior; for hearing my prayer and joining Your prayer together with mine. Lead me in prayer and help me to grow in prayer, trusting Your promises and praying both for my neighbor in his need and for the simple joy of praying, hearing Your words, praying, praising and giving thanks. Amen.

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