“So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.'” John 11:41-42 (NIV)
Jesus prayed.
When you contemplate the relational fortitude Jesus modeled in prayer, you gain insight into your personal need to stay connected to the Father. Jesus, as the Son of God and the Savior of the world, nurtured His love relationship with the Father through consistent conversation.
- “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.” Mark 1:35 (NIV)
- “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16 (NIV)
- “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” Luke 22:44 (NIV)
Standing before the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus asked them to remove the stone and they did. Before Jesus commanded Lazarus to come forth, He prayed. In fact, Jesus looked up and prayed to His Father in Heaven. Jesus prayed a prayer of thanksgiving and a prayer of affirmation. Jesus wanted those standing near to believe that He was truly sent by God. As we read John 11:41-42 we get an inside view of the intimate relationship Jesus enjoyed with His Father.
Never underestimate the power of prayer. Your love relationship with God determines the level of your participation in God’s agenda. As the world-renowned missionary, E. Stanley Jones, explained: “If I throw out a boathook from the boat and catch hold of the shore and pull, do I pull the shore to me, or do I pull myself to the shore? Prayer is not pulling God to my will, but the aligning of my will to the will of God.”
Jesus prayed and lived in alignment with the will of God. Are you ready to pull yourself to the shore?
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor