Today I examine Jesus? prayer life from The Prayers of Jesus in <a href="Deeper Connections. Prayer was the backbone of Jesus? life and ministry. From his baptism to his crucifixion, the Gospels portray Jesus as a man of prayer who knew and deeply valued intimate communion with his heavenly Father.

The first study in the series features David Garland (Truett Seminary) sitting next to a river in the Rocky Mountains. He surveys the biblical portrait of Jesus? prayer life, showing that Jesus was a man of prayer from start to finish. As a result, when the disciples failed to cast out a demon, Jesus was prepared to cast it out on the spot because he had previously spent time in prayer to empower him. Garland challenges us today to not make prayer like those little ?spare tires? that we use when we get a flat, but which will not take us very far. Instead, he calls us to have a lifestyle of prayer. Only through prayer will Christians today be empowered to make a difference in the world.
Do you think the Christians in your church are spending significant time in prayer? What do you think can be done to enliven prayer?