Praying Like Jesus Prayed — Don Wilkerson

This message is one of the Times Square pulpit series. It was recorded in the sanctuary of Times Square Church in Manhattan New York City. Other tapes are available by writing to World Challenge P .O. Box 260 Lindale, Texas 75771 or calling 214 -963 -8626.

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Jesus Prays in John 17

John gospel of John chapter 17 little John Chapter 17, I guess you don't have my Bible like Jesus prayed like Jesus prayed to Jesus Lord. My heart is just filled tonight Because you have filled us in this house with your presence Lord as I was worshiping.

I thank you that you just gave me such a An overwhelming sense of gratefulness that I Know you that I'm your son. I'm your child. Oh, thank the Lord. I don't understand. I don't know why you chose me.

But I thank you that you did and that you chose me before the foundation of the earth. And Lord tonight I can say that I'm yours. Many who walk the streets are blind and they're deaf Spiritually, but Lord you opened my eyes you opened my ears.

Can call here tonight and have that relationship with you. Oh Lord, I thank you. I just thank you Lord and and Lord just pour this out on everybody in this city Lord I pray also as I In my heart, I said I would do today.

I thank you for a young man I saw on 34th Street today passing out tracks Lord. Thank you that there are people that are out reaching others. Thank you for young men. Just going up one after another handing out a gospel piece of literature.

And people looking at it some putting it in their pockets Lord. Let your word penetrate those hearts. And for everybody here that is witnessing Beat in the upper room or on the job or wherever they go Lord.

Thank you. Thank you that the gospel is going forth Lord may others come to know you as we know you tonight that we can stand in your presence and or sit as we have done in your presence and and Just say thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah the name that is above every name and Lord our hearts are just filled. But now Lord, I ask you that you would open the word to our hearts and to our understanding tonight.

Thank you for your precious word. Let the Holy Spirit move and And penetrate our hearts with your word tonight. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. You know the familiar prayer Which begins our Father which art in heaven, you know that it is known as the Lord's prayer.

Technically, it is not the Lord's prayer. It is actually the disciples prayer Given to them by Jesus as a pattern prayer. Here's how it happened in Luke 11 1 it came to pass that as he was praying in a certain place.

Apparently the disciples were close enough to hear him pray and when he had ceased praying Scripture says when he had ceased. One of the disciples said unto him Lord teach us to pray. Now Evidently This was the first time that the disciples had actually heard Jesus praying and they were in earshot.

You recall another occasion near the end of their time with him. That they could have also heard him pray, but they didn't. They fell asleep in the garden. But this occasion in Luke 11 must have been quite a moving experience for the disciples to hear Jesus talking to his father and As I said, it might have been the first time that they heard it and it made such a deep impression On them that they asked.

After it finished they said Lord teach us to pray. Like that hearing Jesus pray must have brought such conviction and such a desire in their own hearts that they wanted to know how to begin a prayer life and What to say and how to address the father and praying as they heard Jesus pouring out his own soul.

What an experience it must have been. Have you ever heard somebody pray and you said to yourself Oh, I'd love to be able to pray like that. I Don't just mean praying pious or eloquent words. Or to pray long or to pray loud.

Or to pray with a voice quivering with emotion. Some people think that's the anointing you see God is not impressed with pious prayers and neither should we be. I've heard some of the most simple prayers and prayers.

I love to hear young young converts testify because There's a freshness about their testimony at their early stage. You're only a baby once and I love to hear baby prayers. Oh, there's just something about young people young converts.

That that I love to hear and If you want to be motivated to pray stick close to somebody who knows how to pray and loves to pray. Like the disciples who overheard Jesus pray if you hear a man or God a man or woman of God pray.

It'll awaken a desire in your own heart to seek the Lord. I remember there are two Individuals that crossed my mind. One was a man. One was a woman. Loved to hear them pray. One was I've mentioned his name before brother LK Dodge, you know and avenge I'd love the man.

I love to hear him pray. He he excited me to pray. Now never forget him because we used to have him around Thanksgiving and every Thanksgiving time. He wouldn't eat because he'd say look I'm so thankful That I can't eat today and I can't tell you how convicted he is when you're trying to eat turkey and you hear him in the Pacing back and forth in the chapel that used to be right there a teen challenge.

The dining room was one Place and right across the hall was the chapel and brother LK Dodge would be going back Just talking to Jesus talking to Jesus and I tried to get him in to eat with me so I could relieve some of my conviction, but no he just Went on to pray.

And I remember another sister sister Ruth Kogol that used to pray and all how how it awakened something in my own heart. Psalms 42 for says when I remembered these things I poured out my soul in me. For I had gone with a multitude.

I went with them to the house of God With a voice of joy and praise with a multitude that kept Holy Day. In other words I heard these people praying. I heard them praising and it It made me want to go with them To the house of God and into the presence of God.

Children ought to have times Frequent times when they hear Their mother their father their parents pray. When I was a kid When I was a young fella, we used to have some of the I'd have some of my neighborhood friends come into the house.

We'd run into the house to pick up something and maybe then to run back out of the house and I can remember some of my friends stopping in their track and Hearing a sound coming from upstairs and they'd say to me what's that?

And I just say nonchalantly and keep running and I said, oh, that's my dad praying. To me it was a common occurrence and I used to think back then in my innocence I used to think well doesn't every dad do that?

What can we learn? From our Lord's prayers his praying. There are frequent scriptural references to the Lord's prayer life and some of his actual words are recorded for us and From this I'd like to share three things about why and how Jesus prayed so that we can have a proper understanding of how to pray as Jesus prayed.

Now these things that I'm going to share are very basic. They're very simple. But when it comes to prayer, we need constant reminders of the basics. You see prayer is not that complicated it just needs to be done as One man of God said prayer does not enable us to do a greater work for God.

Prayer is a greater work for God and when we realize this will want to pray and when we pray we want to pray like Jesus and The three things that I Believe prayer meant to our Lord was first of all, it was communion.

I'll explain that secondly. He asked he petitioned his father and thirdly We learned something about intercessory prayer and these are the three things I want to share. Now first of all Jesus for Jesus prayer.

Prayer Was communion Between a son and a father. It was a son talking to his father. There is no greater or more beautiful teaching on prayer as Communion than what we read in John chapter 17. John Chapter 17 is truly the Lord's prayer or our Lord praying at his best.

Now first the definition of communion, which is what we call the Lord's Supper. But the definition of communion is to share to be in accord in harmony or agreement and A prayer of communion then is to enter into a time of sharing with our Father through the Son or Simply put communion is the time that we spend talking To our Lord and sharing our heart with him.

It may involve it involves worship. It involves praise, but it is a son Talking to his father. One of the ancients has stated that prayer is conversation with God and Listen to this wonderful conversation in John 17 in verse 1 it says these things.

Jesus spoke and Lifted up his eyes to heaven. He said or he prayed now He prayed father. The hour is come glorify thy son that the Son may glorify thee. Now note that the very first word that he speaks He says father father the hour is come and in chapter 17 Jesus goes on to refer to his father 39 different times either addressing him as father or using the words thee thou thyself and thine.

But the word father is the most meaningful of all the terms that he used. Now also if you were to study chapters 14 15 16 and 17 which are all within the same framework Jesus used the term father approximately 45 times in those various chapters and.

So when Jesus begins his prayer and John in in John 17 one with the word father. What follows is a conversation prayer or communion between his son and a father. Now listen to me. If you want to learn anything about the way Jesus prayed it is this.

That prayer is more than asking it is more than just making requests or Presenting a want list to God. There is an intimate conversation between a son and his father and What normal earthly son would not want to spend time sharing with his father.

There is a bond between a son and a father that is rarely broken. Even when a father is not a good father even in cases of divorce and separation a son longs an Earthly son longs to have communion relationship intimacy with a father and If that be the case in earthly relationships.

How much more is it the case of a spiritual son with a heavenly father? Jesus taught this very principle when he said in Luke 11 13 He said if ye then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children.

How much more? Shall your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those that ask him. But you see that is not only about receiving the Holy Spirit. It's about a spiritual son coming to his heavenly father in prayer and in communion.

Hebrews 12 9 says. Moreover We have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it how much more should we submit to the father of our spirits and live and We will see later just how Jesus submitted to his father but It is not just submission that Jesus that drew Jesus to his father.

He was drawn because of the joy of intimacy of communion of Sharing and simply talking with his father. That's what motivated Jesus in prayer the very first recorded words of Jesus. When he was 12 years old his parents had lost him for a period of time and when they found him He said not to worry.

Not to worry. I must be. What about my father's business. What was the very last words before Jesus died on the cross? Again his last words were father. Into your hands. I commend my spirit and from the age of 12 to that death on the cross Jesus had a relationship of Communion in prayer with his father a son talking to his father.

Oh What sweet communion that is you see prayer will take on? More meaning for us if we view it as Jesus did a son talking to his father and The kind of communion that Jesus had with the father. He desires that you and I his sons have the same thing and all you see for For a long time or for a period of my time in my life.

I didn't understand that. But I'm getting ahead of myself look look at John 17 21 One of the great verses. Here is Jesus has this special this intimate this this unceasing Paul said pray without ceasing and I think Paul understood this kind of unceasing relationship.

That the son that Jesus had with his father and Now that he is about to go he is praying that that his own Disciples would have the same thing. And so he says in John 1721 that they may all be one. Now let me just stop there because That verse is probably one of the most misunderstood or misquoted verses in John 17 or especially When it plot it is often used today and you'll hear you're going to hear this this Verse more and more in these days because this verse is used to promote unity.

Unity in the body. Because you see there is a teaching in the church today that says this. If just all of the pastors would get together. If all the churches would get together. All of the denominations would get together.

If there would be a spirit of ecumenism. Ecumenical ism. I think that's right. In other words the Protestants and Catholics get we all going to get together if we could all be one. The world will somehow believe and be converted.

Well, listen to me I've worked with drug addicts for 30 years and I've never had one drug addict one Alcoholic one street and person ever say to me one's a church ever going to get together. One of you people ever going to get your act together.

Unity never cured a drug addict a prostitute a homosexual or Wall Street businessman. But what the world does want to know is Do I know God. Do I know Jesus? Am I in unity and in oneness with a father and with a son and You see when I'm walking with God when I'm in that kind of relationship of a son to a father.

Then you see the world is going to get the overflow of that. That's all John 1721. Jesus is not praying for church or ecumenical unity. He is praying for you and me. He's praying that his disciples his church will have Intimacy unity Knowledge and fellowship with a father and with himself.

He says that they all may be one even as thou father art in me and I in thee. In other words, Jesus is saying. Oh that my dish. Oh that my disciples just knew how close we were. If they would just be as close in In our circle if they would just come into that inner circle if they just understood All how precious that intimacy that fellowship is oh that they would come into that and if they would come into that.

Then they'll have power then the world will believe then because Jesus will be alive in our hearts. Hallelujah. Then we'll be like this. That's what Jesus is praying. He said all for I wish that they were just like you and I just like this and then Jesus also Prays that they also may be in us.

You see prayer is to be drawn into the inner circle of the Godhead. It's to be on intimate terms with both a father and the son near the power center. And I believe listen, I believe that any child of God who understands Who understands this will view prayer not just as a duty But as a delight.

Not just as a discipline but as a desire and Not just something that we have to be told over and over again to do but something that we Look forward to doing. Psalm 38 9 says Lord all my desire is before thee.

Psalms 138 14 can be applied to prayer. It says this is my resting place forever. Here will I dwell for I have desired it now. I want to. I want to give you a little personal testimony tonight about my own struggles in prayer over the years in my earlier life when I was about 14 years of age, I Started my own prayer closet.

Having learned and heard as a youngster my dad who had a walk-in closet in his Bedroom and that's where he went to pray. It so happened that I had a little walk-in closet in my bedroom and so at the age of 14, I went in there and I had communion and I had a.

You know, they used to have used to sing when I was a little kid just a little talk with Jesus will make it All right. All right. Well, I used to have a little talk with Jesus, but it was done little it was it was a Enjoyable experience.

I looked forward to it and then and and by the way, I think I had the kind of prayer life of a son with a father. But the at the age of 17, I went to Bible school and There and you know, sometimes you can be overtaught and When I went to Bible school, I was taught over and over again prayer is work.

Prayer is work. Well there is some truth to that because It's not natural for the natural man to pray. It's not natural for the natural man to pray. Also the flesh hates to pray. The only time the flesh prays is when it wants something and the flesh will pray and The only time the unsaved will pray is you know when they're in deep deep trouble then they'll pray.

But I kept hearing in Bible school that prayer is hard. That prayer is work. That prayer is a discipline that sometimes you have to force yourself to pray whether you like it or not and Again, there is some truth to that however, every time I heard my teacher say prayer is work that Bothered me because you see I didn't particularly like to work.

Not that I didn't work. I Worked at the age of 7 16. I had my first job. I worked my way through Bible school and in one of those summers. I worked in a sweat factory. What they call a sweat shop. Literally in Scranton, Pennsylvania in a factory where they made ladies coats.

I was the steam guy when it came around I had to run a steam machine in the hot summer. Making some money for Bible school earning minimum wage back in 1956 1957. Now sister Gwen, you'll you'll know then because you had a birthday today.

Ask her today or I'd send her a little card and said, you know I'd like to know will you tell me on your birthday how old you are? She came to me and she said I just want you to know that. I'm not as old as you are.

Her son was there and he said but you're pretty not you're pretty close. So, maybe you'll know what minimum wages was in 1956 1957 so when I went to Bible school, I heard all the preachers say prayer was work.

And I thought about the sweat factory and so my prayer life turned into primarily a duty a discipline and a fight against the flesh and I realized now that I had already understood something about precious communion.

I Had understood something about it but I when was laid on a Certain teaching got a hold of me and it turned from being a joy to a duty. And it must have been that my teachers and my teachings or the people who were teaching me that for them Prayer was work.

Prayer was duty. Prayer was not a joyous communion between a son and a father. And oh, yes, I say to you tonight. I admit that at times especially when the flesh is weak and weary that prayer is work and It's a fight against the flesh.

And when you have to take yourself by the nap of the neck and say get your nose On your get your knees down. And get down before the Lord that you don't go by feelings. Or you have to be prayed under conviction in order to spend more time with the Lord.

Oh. But my friend it's more than that and I believe To pray like Jesus prayed is to pray Motivated by delight and desire as well as by discipline and duty and say Oh Father I thank you that I have this communion with you.

That I can go and talk as a son talks to his father and I can unburden my heart to you. Or I can praise you I can worship you and I can enjoy you hallelujah hallelujah. I've yet to find my three kids my three children to rebel against my love or Against spending times of family sharing fellowship Conversation together.

In fact, I kid them. Sometimes I said, I think I've treated you all too good. I can't get rid of you Can't get rid of you you love to be around your parents. Oh, listen, I love to be around my father.

Hallelujah. Oh what sweet communion there is there? Psalms 104 34 says Let my meditation be pleasing to him as for me I shall be glad in the Lord. Songs of Solomon 2 3 says and his fruit was sweet to my taste and I believe his presence is like a fruit.

It is sweet to the taste hallelujah, and When you have that kind of relationship With your heavenly father and with Jesus It's sweet. It's sweet. It draws you to him. Here's another wonderful description of the prayer of a son to the father through and to his son songs of Solomon 2 14, it says all my dove in the class of the rock In the secret place of the steep pathway and the steep pathway refers to our walk with God and Sometimes there is steep pathways and tests and trials that we have to go through.

But he says in the secret place of the steep pathway Let me see your form. Let me hear your voice. For your voice is sweet and your form is lovely. Now you tell me a prayer and communion with our Lord is not inviting.

When we can hear his voice and we can see his form and we can see his Intervention into our lives and we can know that his presence is there with us. Hallelujah hallelujah. Psalms 21 6 describes a blessing of communion Between a son and his father.

It says for thou has made him most blessed forever. Thou has made him exceedingly glad with thy countenance. Oh Hallelujah. Hallelujah, I know there's any child Loves to be able to look at his father and see a smile a countenance that is Inviting and oh, I thank God when I can go into the presence of Lord.

His countenance is Welcoming me and I want to be there with him. Hallelujah. Now another way we ought to pray. Like Jesus prayed is in seeing how and what he asked his father in prayer. I research this carefully as to what did Jesus ask for when he prayed?

It's very interesting is very simple. It's very evidence in the study of Jesus prayer life that when it came to asking and petitioning his father he had one thing that he asked for and It didn't relate actually to himself, but to the father.

Jesus wanted a heart and mind to do the father's will. He was always asked that was his prayer. Jesus used prayer as a means of keeping himself in line with the father's work and will for him and numerous times he said this or he prayed this and Even when Jesus asked to receive I found out back in the pastor's office before The message that brother day was preaching on prayer on Sunday.

I'm glad I got here first. I'm glad I got here first that I'm waiting to hear the follow-up on Sunday. But you see even when Jesus asked to receive glory or honor.

The end of side one. You may now turn the tape over to side two.

Jesus Seeks the Father’s Glory

John 17 1 and he said father the hour is come. Glorify thy son. That the son may glorify thee. Look at verse 5. He says and now glorify thou me together with thyself. Now you see any honor. Any glory or honor that Jesus was to have?

Was bound up with the father. Jesus had no prayer. He had no desire. He had no request. He had no prayer apart from the father. He said glorify thou me together. That's the key word together with thyself verse 10 and all things that are mine are thine and thine are mine now.

Let me show you something about this. Because this was Jesus attitude in prayer. That he always had the father's will predominant. Let me show you how God reacted to it. Turn with me to John chapter 12.

You see as I said, John 17 is really the Lord's Prayer. It's Jesus prayer. It's Jesus praying Luke 11 what we call the Lord's Prayer is really the disciples prayer. But there was a time when the father was so pleased with this Lord's Prayer that the heavens literally thundered and the crowds of people stood in awe of a supernatural phenomena.

Now Jesus prayed this prayer look at it in John 12. What did I say what is John 12 27 he says now my soul has become troubled. He's speaking now about The hour of trial he's talking about the cross. He said now is my soul has become troubled and what shall I say.

And This is Jesus reaction to his trouble. He said should I say father save me from this hour. Now but for this purpose I came to this hour father glorify thy name. Glorify thy name. And There came therefore a voice out of heaven.

I have heard I have both glorified it and will glorified it. The multitude therefore who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered. Others were saying an angel has spoken unto him. Oh. You see the father said I hear that prayer.

I hear that request. Not for yourself but for my will and I have honored your prayer and he said I will do it now and I will do it again and again refers to the same prayer prayed in the garden of Gethsemane and The multitude therefore who stood by heard it were saying what is that that has thundered?

Others were saying an angel has spoken to him. Ah. But what was it? It was the Almighty God. It was the father responding to that kind of a prayer and Listen to me if you want to have heaven thunder and If you want to have an open heaven, and if you want to hear the father's voice talking back to you.

Then ask that you might lose yourself completely in the father's will and When you bow down to him you gain an open heaven. Hallelujah. One fella put it this way. He said since the lines have been cleared between the Lord and me the telephone has never stopped ringing.

Hallelujah. You see prayer will keep you in line with a father. It keeps you from stress straying off course and That's why Jesus was in continual contact with the father. Now you see we generally And erroneously Look upon prayer primarily as a means of getting things for ourselves.

Whereas the Bible idea of prayer is that God's holiness and His purposes and his will might be brought about. Our Ordinary views about prayer and much what is taught in the church today is not found in the New Testament.

Very evidently our ideas about prayer and Jesus ideas are not the same. Prayer is not just a way to get things from God. But it is first of all that we might get to know him. Prayer is not to be used as the privilege of a spoiled child.

Seeking ideal conditions to indulge his carnal whims or wishes. The purpose of prayer is to reveal the presence of God and to honor him by our will being submitted To him and his will being manifested through us.

You know, there's amazing thing that Jesus said it's if you want to turn to it, it's John 11 42. But if you want to trust me, I'll just give it to you. At Jesus at Lazarus tomb Jesus prayed one of the most remarkable prayers.

He said his father always heard and always answered every one of his prayers 100 of the time and that just kind of blew me away. Let me read it to you. John 12 41 42 and so they removed the stone and Jesus raised his eyes and he said father.

I thank thee that thou hearest me. And I know that thou hearest me always. But because of the people standing around I said it that they may believe that thou Did send me. And when he had said these things he cried out Lazarus come forth and you know the rest of the story.

You see our Lord never once in teaching on prayer referred to unanswered prayer. It's taught elsewhere in Scripture. But Jesus did not talk about it. He said God always answers prayer. Now let me say this.

I don't think we can have quite that track record. But If our prayers are in the name of Jesus and they're in accordance with his nature and his will. Then the prayers will not be in accordance with our will or nature but with his.

That's what it means. Some people have this mistaken idea that praying in Jesus name is a little cliche. You go around and say and in the name of Jesus and then then it's kind of like a Charismatic rosary say three in the name of Jesus.

That's not what it's talking about praying in accordance to the nature the character of Jesus and when you pray that you will pray not my will but thine be done. You put your nature in me so that when I ask it you're asking you're asking through me.

Hallelujah, and the reason that people don't teach this. People don't teach this. That the reason Jesus taught his disciples to ask seek and to knock and he said it shall be opened. Is that he had already?

Established that the first prayer of disciples is one of communion of accord of agreement with his will and He said unto them when you pray say father. How will be thy name? Thy kingdom thy will be done.

And When we're praying like that, then he says you can ask what you will and it shall be done. Because you'll be in right relationship with me. Hallelujah, and see when you walk right you talk, right?

When you walk right you pray, right and your prayers get through. Hallelujah. Oh Hallelujah, you see my kids. You'll know when they can ask or not. Sometimes once in a while. My daughter will say dad.

You know, I want to ask you something that you'll probably say no. And I say you're right. I'll probably say no. But they know me and they know what they can ask for and they know what they shouldn't ask for.

And so it is with our Heavenly Father your father knoweth what things ye have need of before you ask. Well, why ask. Because we need to find out his mind and his will for us. Jesus was preoccupied with this and so ought we be so first of all prayer is communion and prayer is Asking and Then Jesus finally thirdly.

Intercessory Prayer for Others

There's a prayer of intercession. Probably the greatest thing that and I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this. But I believe the greatest thing one of the most beautiful things about his prayer if you read it go home and read it.

Primarily Jesus is interceding for his disciples. And he shows us the importance of intercessory prayer. Standing in the gap before him on behalf of others. Look at verse 9. He said I ask on their behalf.

I Do not ask on behalf of the world but of those whom thou has given me for they are thine and Jesus said and please please follow me carefully because I'm praying that some of you will Will find a ministry tonight.

You'll find a ministry tonight and in a ministry of intercessory prayer. Jesus said one of the reasons he was sent into the world was to form a body of people who are filled with his love and over and over again in John 17 Jesus intercedes for his disciples in his church and He uses words like them and us.

And he prays for them intercedes for them and by doing so he's teaching us. Modeling prayer. EM bounds who was one of the great writers on prayer states this listen carefully. He says talking to men for God is a great thing but talking to God for men is even greater still and I believe this is a place in God that he wants all of his children to reach.

To turn our focus from ourselves and our needs on to others and To intercede for others even as Christ is at the right hand of the Father ever making intercession for us. And listen, I want to say something.

If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. But I want you to know there is no distance hallelujah, he is praying for me hallelujah. And you know what that means because he's praying for me.

It frees me up to pray for other people and to have a ministry of intercession. Because I know he's got me all taken care of hallelujah. And I've watched some of you. I've watched the Lord change some of you.

Where every time you prayed and every time and some of you are still at this place. But some of you God's taken you beyond it. But some of you are still at the place every altar call it's given you respond to it.

And that's all right. I'd rather have you come this way then go that way. But I want to tell you something the Lord wants the reason that he wants to clean up your life. Is that he wants you to take the focus off of yourself and on to other people and to begin to intercede.

You know, I've seen some of you God's brought you you used to be all inwardly focused everything you prayed for was was Self not everything but a lot of things you prayed for was self-centered but God's taken now you've given your given yourself to him and The focus is coming off of yourself and the focus is coming on to him and when it comes on to him It'll be like Jesus.

You'll want to begin to intercede for other people. The reason it's important to clean up your life and to grow and mature in him is so that you can be a giver not just a taker and intercessor not just a petitioner and One who stands before God for others not just for yourself.