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       As a child of God, it can be quite confusing to think that Jesus, who Himself is God in manly form, prayed to God. We want to understand why He needed to pray when He Himself could grant every request or answer every prayer. Does this tell us that He is not God? No, He is God. Now let’s understand why Jesus prayed.

      Even before Jesus came into the world, He has always been the Son of God. Jesus is a part of the Trinity, which is one God and yet three persons; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus taught that He and His Father are one (John 10:30) meaning that Jesus and God are of the same substance and the same essence. Jesus is the second person of the Trinity; He took upon Himself complete humanity, except our sinful nature.

       Jesus was fully man and fully God, He went through every struggle that we go through today. He knows temptation, He knows how it feels when people deceive, when people talk behind our backs and He also has experienced struggles in ministry, etc. Jesus had two natures; divine and human – the God-man.

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       When Jesus was in the world, He also took the form of a servant, giving up His heavenly glory (Philippians 2:5-11). He learned obedience in the midst of sufferings (Hebrews 5:8). Jesus praying to God shows His dependence upon God in His humanity to fulfill the will of His Father. He set the example for us as His followers to be able to follow in His ways.

       Jesus prayed because they had an eternal relationship even before the world came into existence and even before Jesus became a man. There is no problem with God the Son talking with God the Father.

       Referring to God in prayer as “my Father” was almost unheard of during Christ’s time. Jews would refer to God in prayer as “Yahweh,” “my Lord,” “my God,” or “God of my father.” Jesus called God as His father “At that time Jesus declared, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth . . .’” (Matt. 11:25). Jesus’ praying to His father shows the relationship within the Trinity and motivates us to rely on God to accomplish the God-given task.   

Conclusion

      Jesus prayed because He is the son of God and has eternal relation with His Father. Jesus was no less God when He was praying to His Father. He set an example of how important prayer is even in sinless humanity to fulfill the will of God. Only I can say in the end is pray, pray and pray in every situation of your life.