CHRIST'S PRAYERS by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 23, 1869

CHRIST'S PRAYERS.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

It would seem that if ever there was a being who could live without constant and earnest prayer and supplication to God, it was Jesus Christ. He was God's only-begotten Son. He came from the bosom of his Father. He was holy; he had no sins to confess, no wickedness to repent of; he knew that God loved him, and all Heaven was interested for him. It would seem that there was little need for him to pray, especially to agonize in prayer and supplication. But let us read a few texts which speak of this subject. Matt. xiv, 23: "And when he had sent the multitude away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray; and when the evening was come he was there alone." Mark i, 35: "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." Luke xxii, 41-44: "And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from Heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." Luke vi, 12: "And it came to pass in those days that he went out into a mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God." Heb. v, 7: "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared." By these we see that Christ often went away alone in the mountains to pray. We find him in the morning rising up a great while before day, and going out into a solitary place to pray. Ought not this to rebuke our drowsiness? At another time Luke says he continued all night apart in prayer to God. What a season of prayer that must have been! The Son of God alone spends all the long dark night in pleading with his Father! And this was he who never knew sin! Then behold the intensity of that memorable prayer in the garden, when being in an agony he prayed more earnestly. How much is expressed in the language of the apostle, when he says that Christ offered up prayer and supplication, with strong crying and tears. If the Son of God must needs thus pray, how should sinners cry to God; and yet a few feeble prayers, a few formal words, will often suffice. If we are Christ's disciples we should have the spirit that he had. The trouble with us is, we do not realize our danger and need of help from God. Our danger and our need is much greater than was that of Christ. Could we realize this as we ought, we should spend as much time in prayer, and should pray as earnestly, as he did; then the enemy would not prevent us, sleep would not deaden us, and the world would not beguile us into security. Christ has taught us, both by precept and example, that we should pray always and earnestly.

D. M. CANRIGHT.

Monroe, Oct. 27.