Divine Petitions, Part # 2 Series

Turn your Bibles to Hebrews 5:7

Title: Divine Petitions, Part # 2

Theme: Examining the Prayer Life of Christ

Series: Grasping the Foundational Truths of Prayer

Listen as I read Hebrews 5:7, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission.” Pray!!!!

Introduction: Matthew Henry wrote: “The prayers and supplications that Christ offered up were joined with strong cries and tears, herein setting us an example not only to pray, but to be fervent and [ be urgently persistent] in prayer.”

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia tells us that prayer is “Communion with God, usually comprising of petition, adoration, praise, confession and thanksgiving. The ultimate object of prayer in both Old and New Testament is not merely the good of the petitioner, but the honor of God’s Name.”

The only prayers that are heard or answered yes to, are those that are offered up for the glory of God. Salvations are given when people pray that God will glorify Himself in the redeeming of a sinful soul.

Proposition: I would propose to you that during the days of Jesus’ life on this earth, He prayed “Divine Petitions” that were for the honor of God, His Father. Christians are to look to Him and say, “Lord teach me to pray.” (Luke 11:1)

Interrogative Sentence: Just what did Jesus pray for while He walked on this earth?

Transitional Sentence: The Scriptural accounts of the prayer life of Christ may be divided into four different groups. We have already considered one group which was “Prayers Prayed at Critical Moments of Christ’s Life.”

The other groups are, “Prayers that Christ Prayed During His Ministry,” “Prayers at His Miracles,” and “Prayers that Christ Prayed for Others.” Let us first start with “Prayers Prayed During His Ministry.”

Luke 5:16 says “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Mark 6:44 says, “After leaving them, He went up on the mountainside to pray.”

Both of these passages of Scripture follow the Biblical accounts of miracles performed by Jesus Christ. In Luke Jesus heals a man from leprosy and in the Book of Mark, Jesus had just fed thousands from five loaves of bread and two fish.

In both of these passages of Scripture we read of Jesus’ habitual life of prayer, even during very busy times. Great crowds would come to hear and to be healed of their illnesses.

Never has anyone done as much public good as Christ has done and we read clearly that Jesus made time for heartfelt prayer. He prayed, though He had so much preaching, teaching, healing and training to do. He was much in prayer, often in prayer and at times long in prayer.

He needed, desired and enjoyed fellowship with God His Father in prayer while on this earth. Jesus set the example for us. Thus, Christians need, should desire and enjoy the fellowship that comes with being with our Lord alone in prayer.

When Christians begin to be used of God in some powerful way they must be much more in prayer and at times long in prayer and most certainly alone with God in prayer. When crowds begin to gather, the Holy Spirit will prompt Christians to seek places where they can get alone with God and pray.

This will protect them from distractions and ostentation. These are two things that have destroyed many a child of God, brought disgrace upon many a ministry and brought Christ to public disgrace.

It is only good wisdom for Christians to order their affairs in a way that their public work with the Lord does not destroy quality prayer time. Christians must do as Christ did, which was to get alone with God in prayer.

Transitional Sentence: Scripture records Christ praying after God had used Him greatly in ministry and at His miracles. This is the third group in which Jesus’ prayers may be placed. Jesus prayed at His miracles.

In Mark 6:41 we read of Jesus, “Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks.” Before the miracle of feeding the five thousand men, not counting women and children, our Lord prayed.

Jesus looking up to heaven and giving thanks shows us clearly that we should recognize that God is sovereign, the supplier of all good things. God is the one who is able to provide for the needs of people in every realm of life. Not only does this show the fitness and correctness of grace before meals, it shows forth that God is to be sought for the provision of food for the hungry.

Another time Jesus prayed before a miracle was in healing of a deaf and mute man, thus showing us that divine petition gets deliverance of bodily afflictions as God wills. Mark 7:32, 34 says; “…some people brought to Him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk and they begged Him to place His hand on the man. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh, said ‘Ephpharha! which means opened!’”