Praying with others around

 Luke 9:18 (NIV) Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”

 

Notice two things about this prayer time of our Lord Jesus.

 

First, Jesus was praying in private.

He was alone, by himself.  The same term is used in Mark 4:10 (NIV) When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.

 

Second, his disciples were with him

 

With him means: “to come together, to stand at one's side”. Same word is used in 

Acts 22:11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.

 

 

So, Jesus is somehow alone yet his disciples were with him, standing at his side, or somewhere in proximity.  It is like Jesus is expressing something that crossed his mind in his praying.  He appears to kind of direct his thoughts to his disciples while he was in prayer to ask the question, “Who do the crowds say I am?

 

 

Here’s the point.

This is a special kind of praying.  It is praying when you are with others. This is not the only kind of praying he did, but it is an interesting kind of praying.

He often withdrew and spent time with just the Father.  But here, Jesus is teaching, by example, an important kind of praying:  Praying in the presence of others.

 

Jesus is praying and his disciples were with him.

Mom is praying and her children are with her.

Dad is praying and his baseball team is with him.

John is praying and his team mates are with him watching hockey.

 

Jesus is sanctifying all of life as prayer room.  Ask God to help to pray when others are around you.  You just never know what might happen!