I mean seen here on earth, by His Disciples.

We now call the Event Jesus’ “Ascension.”

His miraculous rising up to Heaven, and into Heaven!

Here’s Luke’s telling of the Story: “And He (Jesus) led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.” Luke 24:50-51

He was “blessing” them, a Greek verb sometimes used for the act of prayer!

Jesus was there fulfilling the role of the Jewish Great High Priest, who often lifted his hands … and prayed a blessing upon the people! We even know what they prayed! “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee. The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

These very words may have come from Jesus’ Lips as He rose into the sky, into Glory!

Jesus, at prayer, the last time He was seen by a group!

Then I thought this, asked this. “What is Jesus doing right now?” In Heaven? At His Father’s Right Hand?

And the answer again is … praying!

Jesus is praying today, tonight, as our great Intercessor in Heaven!

Hebrews 7 actually furnishes my “proof” text. There Jesus is described as our Great High Priest. Who is unchangeable! “Wherefore He (Jesus) is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing HE EVER LIVETH TO MAKE INTERCESSION for them.” Hebrews 7:25, where “making intercession” means “praying for someone,” you and me!

He’s praying even this very minute!

No wonder Psalm 109:4, in the Hebrew Text, says of Jesus (via the Bible miracle of prophecy) … “But I (am) prayer!”

He indeed is prayer!

He prayed leaving here.

He is still praying now.

Once more I declare … He IS prayer!

I know of no better way to conclude these Prayer Lessons than this last glance at our Lord, at Him Who indeed taught us to pray: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” Matthew 6:9-13

Yes, Amen.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

I must soon complete these “Prayer” Studies.

But our Lord is such a precious Example of the exercise!

He found in prayer, in talking to His Father, two great Qualities, two great Character Traits.

The first of which was … great strength! Great refreshment, as I earlier said … perennial renewal!

Yes, Jesus (physically speaking) did tire. John 4:6 comes to mind. “Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, BEING WEARIED with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.” The capitalized verb means “exhausted.”

Once, during a storm, Jesus slept, that worn out I suggest! Mark 4:38 relates: “And he was in the hinder part of the ship, ASLEEP ON A PILLOW: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?”

But Jesus, the incessant man of Prayer, found such robust ability to continue serving His Father … via Prayer! As He taught in Luke 18:1. “Men ought always to pray, and NOT TO FAINT.” Wow! The one activity (praying) dispelling the other (faintness)!

Then once, when the Disciples were inadequate (without strength) to do a certain task, our Lord intervened and did the job! Saying, “This kind goeth not out but by PRAYER and fasting.” Matthew 17:21, prayer again equipped Him for a hard, humanly impossible job!

YES, FOR JESUS, PRAYER MEANT POWER!

STAMINA!

FAITHFULNESS!

Then the second side effect of prayer …

Namely … radiance!

“Radiance of spirit,” one Preacher pronounced.

Like Moses, whose face shined so did our Lord’s! Thing Mount of Transfiguration … when He was praying nonetheless! “And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.” Then it happened … “And as he prayed, THE FASHION OF HIS COUNTENANCE WAS ALTERED, and his raiment was white and glistering.” Luke 9:29-30, praying and glowing!

Children loved to be near Him, near our Saviour! Because, I think, He was so very pleasant, radiant! Mark 10: 13 succinctly says: “And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them.” What loving kindness is implied here!

Furthermore, quite often Jesus counseled others: “Be of good cheer!” How could He honestly do so if He were not a Man of Cheer?

And we are told Jesus “delighted” to do certain things, His Father’s Will being primary! That implied radiance of countenance, delighting! Jesus to His Father, prophetically: “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8

No wonder He preached, taught, so much about “blessedness!” The Greek word for “blessed” means “happy” too. His Prayer Life ignited such joy within His Soul!

I think Luke 10:21 may be typical of our Lord: “In that hour Jesus REJOICED IN SPIRIT, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.” Man of great joy … because He prayed so!

Even on the Cross … “Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2, amazing!

Jesus prayed, as a lifestyle.

And was always STRONG.

And was always RAIDANT.

So should we pray … likely with the same results!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

Jesus’ prayer habits are gradually revealed throughout the Gospels. More in Luke, much more, than in John, for example. But enough to prove our Saviour “prayed!”

Mark 1:35 tells us a lot. “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there PRAYED.” Before an average day, praying! It looks like He really enjoyed uninterrupted time with his Father!

Wow!

And after Jesus fed the multitudes (the 5,000 +) … He went and prayed! Nearly all night long! “And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart TO PRAY: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.” Matthew 14:23, after an ultra-busy day, praying!

And on the evening before Jesus chose His 12 Helpers, Disciples … yes, He again prayed! “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain TO PRAY, and CONTINUED ALL NIGHT IN PRAYER to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles.” Luke 6:12-13, prior to great decisions, praying!

And even before great Sermons, our Lord invested time, enjoyed time, in prayer! Like when He reveled to his Disciples His True Identity, clearly so! “And it came to pass, as he was alone PRAYING, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again. He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God. And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.” Luke 9:18-22, blending powerful preaching and intensive prayer!

Jesus prayed habitually!

Our Lord practiced, embodied, Paul’s later command, “Pray without ceasing.” 1st Thessalonians 5:17

And if Jesus the son of God saw the need for prayer … on every occasion … surely we humans must as well!

Amen … just pray:

Early in the morning!

Late into the night!

Before every decision!

Before saying much as well!

That’s today’s Lesson!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

I think the Events I am about to mention may be, to some degree anyway, answers to some of Jesus’ Prayers. I leave plenty of room for you to disagree, if you so choose.

But I do know this. Jesus was praying WHEN THESE EVENTS OCCURRED. Scripture itself validates this fact.

Let’s go to our Lord’s baptism. Only Luke (none of the other Gospel writers) tells us. “Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, AND PRAYING, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” Luke 3:21-22, Jesus at prayer! We do not know the EXACT content of His Prayer that day, but he was indeed talking to His Father. The Father responded, too! As did the Holy Spirit!

Another instance of Jesus at prayer at a critical time of His Life was at the mount of Transfiguration. And again Luke tells us about it. “And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain TO PRAY. And AS HE PRAYED, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.” Luke 9:28-31, more answered prayer, for sure!

Great things happen when one prays! Perhaps even things beyond what could have been imagined! “Now unto him that is able to do EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

Then a third example, our Lord was praying just prior to Calvary, the old rugged Cross, His substitutionary Death. The very words of Jesus here: “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? FATHER, SAVE ME FROM THIS HOUR: but for this cause came I unto this hour. FATHER, GLORIFY THY NAME. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.” John 12:27-30, praying again … and the Father directly (audibly) answered!

Wow!

Three of what was probably many instances!

Jesus, The Man of Prayer!

The Man Whose Prayers were answered!

The man Who truthfully testified (at the grave of dead Lazarus), speaking to His Father … “FATHER, I THANK THEE THAT THOU HAST HEARD ME. And I KNEW THAT THOU HEAREST ME ALWAYS: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.” John 11:41-43, “Thou hearest Me always!”

God does answer prayer!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

We’ve now studied three days on Jesus and His thoughts concerning “unanswered prayer.” But today I would like to emphasize Jesus’ view of normal prayer, answered prayer!

I’d like to frame this Lesson around the title of “rewards” and prayer. And I am using the very words of Jesus here! “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret SHALL REWARD THEE openly.” Matthew 6:6, where the verb “shall reward” is “apodidomi” in Greek. Meaning “to give,” and that intensively so!

There are “rewards” in prayer!

“Gifts” from God!

So I definitely think we can pencil, engrave, “answered prayer” beside Jesus’ name, beside His overall Teaching on the subject.

Listen to him again: “I say unto you, Ask, and IT SHALL BE GIVEN you; seek, and YE SHALL FIND; knock, and IT SHALL BE OPENED unto you. For every one that asketh RECEIVETH; and he that seeketh FINDETH; and to him that knocketh it SHALL BE OPENED. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father GIVE the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” Luke 11:9-13, sure does sound positive! Answers are on the way!

Then Mark 11:24 records our Lord as saying: “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and YE SHALL HAVE THEM.”

John 14:13-14 is always a favorite! “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” No doubt about it, answered prayer!

Add John 15:7 now. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

Then John 15:16, the same chapter, Jesus continues. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, HE MAY GIVE IT YOU.”

One more example, of many yet available! “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, HE WILL GIVE IT YOU. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and YE SHALL RECEIVE, that your joy may be full.” John 16:23-24

There is “reward,” assuredly so, guaranteed, promised of God … when prayers are launched Heavenward!

Jesus said so.

What further encouragement do we need?

Let’s pray.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell