Jesus' Prayer Life

Another instance of his love to God was his delight in conversing with him by prayer, which made him frequently retire from the world, and, with the greatest devotion and pleasure, spend whole nights in that heavenly exercise, though he had no sins to confess, and but few secular interests to pray for. Alas, these are almost the only things that are likely to drive us to our devotions! Nay, we may say that his whole life was a kind of prayer, a constant course of communion with God. If the sacrifice was not always an offering, yet the fire was still kept alive. Nor was the blessed Jesus ever surprised with that dullness or tepidity of spirit which we must, many times wrestle with before we can be fit for the exercise of devotion.

Things one rarely thinks about--it is obvious from the gospel accounts that our Lord spent a lot of time in prayer, yet it never occurred to me to think how different his prayers would have been from my own, not just in quantity but in quality. As Scougal points out very effectively, he had no sins to confess. There was never any reconciliation to accomplish. His physical needs were few; he was evidently very content in the circumstances in which he passed his life. What rapt communion, then, he must have enjoyed. Hours in prayer, and all in intimate fellowship with the Father. It is a small glimpse into that world we will someday realize.