radkinso
Puritan Board Freshman
I have been wrestling with trying to articulate a good, helpful, and (above all) biblical answer to this question as I begin preaching through the Gospel of Mark. I found a previous post from 2022 particularly helpful: https://puritanboard.com/threads/why-did-Jesus-pray.108486/
But I also wanted to add this short section from Thomas Brooks' Private Key to Heaven (available from Chapel Library here or in Volume 2 of his works):
Question. But why was our Lord Jesus so much in private prayer? Why was He so often with God alone?
To commend the duty of private prayer.
Answer 1. First, it was to put a very high honor and value upon private prayer; it was to enhance and raise the price of this duty. Men naturally are very apt and prone to have low and undervaluing thoughts of secret prayer. But Christ, by exercising Himself so frequently in it, hath put an everlasting honor and an inestimable value upon it.
To commend the exercise of humility.
Answer 2. Secondly, He was much in private prayer, He was often with God alone, that He might not be seen of men, and that He might avoid all shows and appearances of ostentation and popular applause. He that hath commanded us to “abstain from all appearance of evil” (1Th 5:22) would not Himself, when He was in this world, venture upon the least appearance of evil. Christ was very shy of everything that did but look like sin; He was very shy of the very show and shadow of pride or vain glory.
To commend solitude for the performance of spiritual duties.
Answer 3. Thirdly, to avoid interruptions in the duty. Secrecy is no small advantage to the serious and lively carrying on of a private duty. Interruptions and disturbances from without are oftentimes quench-coals (extinguishers) to private prayer. The best Christians do but bungle when they meet with interruptions in their private devotions.
To commend time alone with God to us.
Answer 4. Fourthly, to set us such a blessed pattern and gracious example, that we should never please nor content ourselves with public prayers only, nor with family prayers only, but that we should also apply ourselves to secret prayer, to closet prayer. Christ was not always in public, nor always in His family, but He was often in private with God alone, that by His own example He might encourage us to be often with God in secret. Happy are they that tread in His steps and that write after His copy.
To commend Himself as our interceding Great High Priest.
Answer 5. Fifthly, that He might approve Himself to our understandings and consciences to be a most just and faithful High Priest (Heb 2:17; John 17). Christ was wonderfully faithful and careful in both parts of His priestly office: satisfaction and intercession. He was His people’s only spokesman. Ah! How earnest, how frequent was He in pouring out prayers, and tears, and sighs, and groans for His people in secret, when He was in this world (Heb 5:7). And now He is in heaven, He is still a-making intercession for them (Heb 7:25).
To remind us that His Father approves, hears, and answers private prayers.
Answer 6. Sixthly, to convince us that His Father hears and observes our private prayers, and bottles up all our secret tears, and that He is not a stranger to our closet desires, wrestlings, breathings, hungerings, and thirstings.
But I also wanted to add this short section from Thomas Brooks' Private Key to Heaven (available from Chapel Library here or in Volume 2 of his works):
Question. But why was our Lord Jesus so much in private prayer? Why was He so often with God alone?
To commend the duty of private prayer.
Answer 1. First, it was to put a very high honor and value upon private prayer; it was to enhance and raise the price of this duty. Men naturally are very apt and prone to have low and undervaluing thoughts of secret prayer. But Christ, by exercising Himself so frequently in it, hath put an everlasting honor and an inestimable value upon it.
To commend the exercise of humility.
Answer 2. Secondly, He was much in private prayer, He was often with God alone, that He might not be seen of men, and that He might avoid all shows and appearances of ostentation and popular applause. He that hath commanded us to “abstain from all appearance of evil” (1Th 5:22) would not Himself, when He was in this world, venture upon the least appearance of evil. Christ was very shy of everything that did but look like sin; He was very shy of the very show and shadow of pride or vain glory.
To commend solitude for the performance of spiritual duties.
Answer 3. Thirdly, to avoid interruptions in the duty. Secrecy is no small advantage to the serious and lively carrying on of a private duty. Interruptions and disturbances from without are oftentimes quench-coals (extinguishers) to private prayer. The best Christians do but bungle when they meet with interruptions in their private devotions.
To commend time alone with God to us.
Answer 4. Fourthly, to set us such a blessed pattern and gracious example, that we should never please nor content ourselves with public prayers only, nor with family prayers only, but that we should also apply ourselves to secret prayer, to closet prayer. Christ was not always in public, nor always in His family, but He was often in private with God alone, that by His own example He might encourage us to be often with God in secret. Happy are they that tread in His steps and that write after His copy.
To commend Himself as our interceding Great High Priest.
Answer 5. Fifthly, that He might approve Himself to our understandings and consciences to be a most just and faithful High Priest (Heb 2:17; John 17). Christ was wonderfully faithful and careful in both parts of His priestly office: satisfaction and intercession. He was His people’s only spokesman. Ah! How earnest, how frequent was He in pouring out prayers, and tears, and sighs, and groans for His people in secret, when He was in this world (Heb 5:7). And now He is in heaven, He is still a-making intercession for them (Heb 7:25).
To remind us that His Father approves, hears, and answers private prayers.
Answer 6. Sixthly, to convince us that His Father hears and observes our private prayers, and bottles up all our secret tears, and that He is not a stranger to our closet desires, wrestlings, breathings, hungerings, and thirstings.
