God Who Prays

The God Who Prays is a spiritual reading of Jesus' farewell prayers. Jesus began his upper room discipleship sermon on his knees, washing the disciples' feet, and he ended it with his eyes raised to heaven, consecrating himself and his disciples to the will of the Father. For Jesus the line between communion with his Father and conversation with his disciples is very thin. Dialogue and devotion go hand in hand. His Glory prayer and his Gethsemane prayer, along with his prayers from the cross, transform the disciples from pre-passion inquisitiveness and doubt to post-passion devotion and discipleship. Through answered prayer Jesus shifts the disciples from training mode to mission. His example inspires us to ask how thin the line is between praying and living. Prayer's promised efficaciousness, "e;whatever you ask,"e; is locked in to our relationship with the triune God. The Father is the source of every good and perfect gift. The Son, in whose name we pray, gives the purpose and the passion for "e;whatever"e; we ask. And our Advocate, the Holy Spirit, guides us into all truth. On the eve of the crucifixion Jesus teaches us how to pray.