CASE FOR PRAYING THE PERFECT PRAYER
What is the Perfect Prayer?
Learn what the perfect prayer is and how to pray it.
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” --Matthew 26:39
What the Bible Says about Praying
We know that the Bible says to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We know the Bible tells us that the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much (James 5:16). The scriptures tell us to pray about everything and worry about nothing. So, the questions are:
What is the perfect prayer?
How do you pray the perfect prayer?
These are the questions that a lot of new Christians ask. A lot of seasoned Christians want clarity about praying the perfect prayer. You might be thinking that you have prayed all your life, but you are not sure if you have ever prayed the perfect prayer.
First, praying simply means communicating with God. Therefore, anytime you talk to God, it’s a prayer. However, it might not be the perfect prayer.
Prayers in the Bible
There are 650 prayers in the Bible. There are 450 recorded answers to those prayers. What happened to the other 200? There is no shelf life on prayer. There is no limitation on a prayer. Prayers don’t expire like milk, bread, or other foods.
Some prayers are still being answered that were prayed by people years ago. We are being blessed today because of the prayers our grandparents prayed for us years ago. Some prayers are yet to be answered.
The Bible records Jesus praying 25 different times during His earthly ministry. In the Bible, Paul mentioned prayers 41 times. That shows that praying is important.
Types of Prayers Meaning Scripture
corporate prayer
prayer in a religious group with others
Acts 2:42
individual prayer
praying alone
Matthew 26:39
intercessory prayer
interceding on behalf of others
1 Timothy 2:1
prayer of thanskgaiving
thanking God for what He has done and is about to do
Psalm 95:2-3
prayer of dedication
prayer consecrating yourself to God
Matthew 26:39
prayer of request
Asking God for something; most common prayer
Philippians 4:6
The Perfect Prayer Is Different From Other Prayers
The perfect prayer is different from any of the above prayers. The perfect prayer is the prayer that Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Jesus went to the garden on the night of His arrest with His disciples, but He went into the garden alone to pray to His Father without any distractions.
Jesus did not go to the garden to worship. He did not go to the garden to praise. He did not go into the garden to sing. He did not go to the garden to dance. He went to the garden for one reason and one reason only. He went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray a perfect prayer.
The perfect prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane is so important that it is recorded in all four gospels.
Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Jesus Prayed the Perfect Prayer
Jesus knew He was facing the cross, and He wanted to hear clearly that it was His Father’s will. So Jesus prayed three times the same prayer, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not my will, but thine be done (Matthew 26:39).
People say you don’t have faith if you pray the same prayer more than once. According to this particular scripture, Jesus prayed the same prayer not once, not twice but three times.
Jesus prayed so fervently that sweat like drops of blood fell from His face. Of the 25 prayers Jesus prayed in the Bible, not one of them was like this prayer. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed the perfect prayer when He was about to face the most difficult situation of His earthly life.
Jesus did receive an answer to His perfect prayer. That’s why He could endure what happened to Him on the cross. He had gotten clearance from His Father. He went to the cross with His Father’s blessings. Not only that, but He went to the cross because He saw us on the other side.
Praying Like Jesus
Sometimes, it is good to pray with your family. Sometimes, it is good to pray with your friends. But there are those times when you need to be alone and pour out your heart to God all by yourself, like Jesus did when He left His disciples.
Like Jesus, there are times when we, too, need to go to Gethsemane; not to worship God; not to praise; not to sing; not to dance, but ONLY to pray because that’s the reason Jesus went to Gethsemane, and it is the only time recorded in the Bible that He did go there.
If you are serious about praying to God for a breakthrough, leave the crowd behind and go to the Garden of Gethsemane. Be willing to say like Jesus, “Father, not my will, but thine be done” (Luke 22:42).
The perfect prayer is also a prayer of relinquishment. That is when you give up your will and leave everything to God. You stop telling Him what you want and leave everything up to the one who knows what's best for you.
Please join me in praying that perfect prayer:
“Father, not my will, but thine be done.” Amen.
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