Learning About Prayer From Jesus

This morning, Professor Jerram Barrs shared with us three important things he has learned from Jesus about prayer:

1. We are encourage by Jesus to know that we are accepted just as we are. We are accepted by God in his Son when we pray. Whenever we worship or pray, Jesus is leading us and representing us to his Father. This means that when the Father hears my prayers and hears your prayers, he is actually hearing his Son pray. All your imperfections are covered by Jesus. His perfectly righteous life, the utter dependence he showed on his Father, the deep reality of prayer in his life, is counted to me. The Father willingly hears us because he is so willing to hear Jesus. In the Father’s eyes you have a perfect prayer life.

2. Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount, “blessed are the pour in Spirit”, are so important. Jesus wants me as I am, not as someone who is pretending to be something super spiritual, but as one who knows that we are spiritually impoverished apart from him.

3. Jesus’ words in Luke 18 are so helpful as he tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The last thing the Father wants is for us is to come and name how spiritual and obedient to him we are. He wants us to come to him with an open heart, acknowledging our weakness and brokenness.