Jesus’ prayers are
the recorded times in the Gospels
when He spoke to His Father.
These prayers reveal
His intimate relationship with God,
His dependence on the Father,
His love for His disciples,
and His submission to the Father’s will.
They also serve as a model
for how believers should pray.
Several of Jesus’ prayers are preserved in the Gospels:
- The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4) — Jesus taught this as a model for His disciples, focusing on God’s name, kingdom, will, provision, forgiveness, and protection.
- The High Priestly Prayer (John 17) — Jesus’ longest recorded prayer, offered on the night before His crucifixion. He prays for Himself, for His disciples, and for all future believers.
- Prayers in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46) — Jesus prays in deep agony, submitting to the Father’s will concerning the cross.
- Prayers from the Cross — Including “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34), “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46), and “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46).
- Other prayers — Such as His thanksgiving to the Father in Matthew 11:25-27 and His prayer at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:41-42).
Jesus’ prayers consistently reveal:
- Intimate relationship — He addresses God as “Father” and, in Gethsemane, “Abba, Father.”
- Submission to the Father’s will — Especially clear in Gethsemane: “Not as I will, but as you will.”
- Love for His people — In John 17 He prays for the protection, unity, and future glory of His followers.
- Dependence on the Father — Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray (Luke 5:16), showing His reliance on communion with God.
- Worship and thanksgiving — He regularly gave thanks to the Father.
Jesus’ prayers are important because:
- They reveal the heart of the Son toward the Father.
- They show us how to approach God with both intimacy and reverence.
- They demonstrate that prayer was central to Jesus’ life and ministry.
- The High Priestly Prayer (John 17) includes all believers, making it a prayer that still covers us today.
- Jesus continues to intercede for His people as our High Priest (Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34).
- Matthew 6:9-13
- Luke 11:1-4
- John 17
- Matthew 26:36-46
- Luke 22:39-46
- Luke 23:34, 46
- Matthew 27:46
- Hebrews 7:25
Jesus’ prayers give us a window into His relationship with the Father and provide a perfect model for our own prayer lives. They show us that prayer is not merely asking for things, but communion with God, submission to His will, and love for others. Because Jesus lives forever to intercede for us, believers can approach the throne of grace with confidence.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.