I Can’t Pray; God Still Prays!

October 24, 2024

I Can’t Pray; God Still Prays!

I wonder if we put too much emphasis on our prayers.  That sounds strange coming from one who believes our conversations (i.e., prayers!) with Jesus are at the heart of what it means to be a Christ-follower. 

We are taught to pray often.  In fact, in I Thessalonians 5:16 we are called to pray without ceasing.  The Apostle Paul writes; “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 

We are encouraged to ask Jesus for grace and mercy and forgiveness.  We are told to appeal to our Heavenly Father for justice and peace and compassion.  We are called to assert for healing and help and hope to the Holy Spirit.

I have prayed in these ways for friends and family as well as for neighbors and people I have never met.  I have prayed for healing before surgery, help for someone who cannot see the way through, and a blessing upon a home, a business, and a marriage.  I have prayed for all kinds of things and all kinds of people because I believe our prayers change circumstances and change lives.

And yet, there are times when I don’t know what to pray or I no longer want to pray.  There are seasons when it feels like my prayers are not heard or make no difference.  There are situations where there is so much injustice or senseless violence that I wonder if prayer will change anything or anyone.  So, there are times when my prayers are less frequent and less fervent.

Then, I remember the prayer life of Jesus.  Even as 39 lashes rip open the flesh on His back, even as a crown of thorns is crushed upon His scalp, even when a heavy cross is forced upon Him, even when spikes are driven through His hands, even as a spear is thrust up under His rib cage, even when ridicule flows from the mouth of someone hanging next to Him, Jesus prays.

Jesus prays when everything and everyone is against Him.  Jesus prays when He feels utterly alone, utterly forsaken, and utterly abandoned by our Father in Heaven.  Jesus prays when pain is unimaginable, breath is almost impossible, and friends are absent. 

Jesus prays when the actions of others are beyond understanding and when death is imminent.  In Luke 23:34 we hear Jesus’ pray just before He dies.  “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” 

Jesus prays for forgiveness of people who do not know what they are doing.  Jesus prays for forgiveness for the soldiers, the political leaders, and the religious leaders.  Jesus prays for forgiveness for friends who betrayed Him, followers who rejected Him, and family who watched in horror.  Jesus prays for forgiveness for every person who lived that day and for every person who lives today.

I don’t know if I could have prayed like that.  The good news is when I can’t pray, Jesus still prays.

The good news is Jesus prays for all kinds of situations and for all kinds of people.  On the evening Jesus was arrested, He took His disciples to pray in a garden filled with olive trees.  In Luke 22:39 we hear; “He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.”

Luke’s description of Jesus’ prayer time includes a few words that make a huge difference to me.  Luke tells us that Jesus went to pray “…as was his custom…”  Luke tells us that prayer is a frequent practice for Jesus. 

What that means is that even when I can’t pray or don’t pray, Jesus still prays.  In other words, Jesus prays for me when I can’t pray for myself or for the people about whom I care.

If you are in a season where prayer seems infrequent, difficult, or maybe non-existent, please know that Jesus is praying for what you need most today. 

+Whether it is about your job, your family, or a situation about which you are confused, Jesus is praying for you. 

+Whether it is about a big decision, a recent diagnosis, or an emotional hurt which does not heal, Jesus is praying for you. 

+Whether it is about your aging parent, your child that refuses to grow up, or your struggling spouse, Jesus is praying for you.

When you can’t pray, God still prays for you!  It is Jesus’ “custom” to pray.  More specifically, it is Jesus’ practice to pray for you.  Whether you believe you are deserving or not, whether you believe you are worthy or not, or whether you are able to pray or not, Jesus is still praying for you.

Jesus still prays for you because Jesus still loves you.  With the assurance of Jesus’ prayers and love, your heart will be filled with delight in what the Lord Jesus is doing for you.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug