Bible Reference > Bible Facts > Songs, Prayers, and Sayings
Quick Summary
Our Lord Jesus prayed constantly. He prayed before dawn and through the night, on mountains and in deserted places, at his baptism and at a friend's tomb, over bread and over children, in a garden and from a cross. The Gospels record about two dozen moments when Jesus prayed, and several of his prayers survive in his own words, including the Lord's Prayer, the High Priestly Prayer of John 17, the prayer in Gethsemane, and three prayers from the cross.
This page lists every recorded prayer of Jesus in the Bible, in the order they happen, with the full context of each. It also covers the Aramaic words Jesus used when he prayed, the Psalms he prayed, what he asked the Father for, what he taught about prayer, why the Son of God needed to pray at all, and the prayer the New Testament says he is still praying for us today.
The Prayers of Jesus at a Glance
| # | When Jesus Prayed | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | At his baptism | Luke 3:21-22 |
| 2 | Before dawn in Capernaum | Mark 1:35 |
| 3 | Withdrawing from the crowds | Luke 5:16 |
| 4 | All night before choosing the Twelve | Luke 6:12 |
| 5 | Blessing loaves for 5,000 | Matthew 14:19 |
| 6 | Alone on the mountain | Matthew 14:23 |
| 7 | Thanks for revealing truth to infants | Luke 10:21 |
| 8 | Healing a deaf man | Mark 7:34 |
| 9 | Before Peter's confession | Luke 9:18 |
| 10 | At the transfiguration | Luke 9:28-29 |
| 11 | Before teaching the Lord's Prayer | Luke 11:1 |
| 12 | Blessing the children | Matthew 19:13 |
| 13 | At Lazarus' tomb | John 11:41-42 |
| 14 | "Father, glorify your name" | John 12:27-28 |
| 15 | Thanks at the Last Supper | Luke 22:17-19 |
| 16 | For Peter's faith | Luke 22:31-32 |
| 17 | Asking the Father to send the Spirit | John 14:16 |
| 18 | The High Priestly Prayer | John 17 |
| 19 | In Gethsemane | Mark 14:32-42 |
| 20 | "Father, forgive them" | Luke 23:34 |
| 21 | "My God, my God" | Mark 15:34 |
| 22 | "Into your hands" | Luke 23:46 |
| 23 | Blessing bread at Emmaus | Luke 24:30 |
| 24 | Blessing disciples at the ascension | Luke 24:50-51 |
In the order the events happen. Scripture references from the New Revised Standard Version.
How Many Times Did Jesus Pray in the Bible?
The four Gospels mention Jesus praying, giving thanks, or blessing God in about two dozen distinct moments. The table above lists 24. In some of them we have his actual words. In others the Gospel writers simply tell us that he prayed, sometimes all night.
The real number was far higher. The Gospels describe a habit, not a handful of exceptions. "He would withdraw to deserted places and pray" (Luke 5:16) uses a Greek verb form that describes repeated action. Jesus prayed this way again and again.
The Gospel of Luke pays the closest attention to Jesus' prayer life. Luke shows him praying at nearly every turning point of his ministry, and several of those moments appear only in Luke: at his baptism, before choosing the Twelve, before Peter's confession, at the transfiguration, for Peter on the night of his betrayal, and in two of his prayers from the cross.
Prayers at the Beginning of Jesus' Ministry
At His Baptism (Luke 3:21-22)
"Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened."
Matthew and Mark tell us the heavens opened. Luke adds that Jesus was praying when it happened. The Spirit descended and the Father spoke, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased," while Jesus was in prayer. His public ministry begins on his knees. Compare the accounts in The Baptism of Jesus: A Comparative Study and The Baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:9-11).
Before Dawn in Capernaum (Mark 1:35)
"In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed."
The night before, the whole town had crowded around the door as Jesus healed the sick. Success was everywhere. When the disciples found him, they said, "Everyone is searching for you." His answer, shaped by that early prayer, was to move on to the next towns. Prayer kept his mission clear when the crowds wanted something else. See A Preaching Tour in Galilee (Mark 1:35-39).
Withdrawing After the Crowds (Luke 5:16)
"But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray."
Luke places this verse right after news of Jesus spreads and "many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases." The busier his ministry became, the more he withdrew. See Jesus Cleanses a Leper (Luke 5:12-16).
All Night Before Choosing the Twelve (Luke 6:12)
"Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God."
This is the only time the Gospels say Jesus prayed all night. The next morning he chose twelve apostles, including Judas. His biggest decision was made after his longest recorded prayer. See Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles (Luke 6:12-16).
Prayers During Jesus' Ministry
Blessing the Loaves for the Five Thousand (Matthew 14:19; John 6:11)
"Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves."
Jesus prayed the ordinary Jewish blessing before a meal, and five thousand people ate. Looking up to heaven was a common posture of prayer. See Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand (Luke 9:10-17) and Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand (John 6:1-15).
Alone on the Mountain (Matthew 14:23)
"And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone."
John tells us the crowd wanted to make him king by force (John 6:15). Jesus sent everyone away and prayed. A few hours later he came to his disciples walking on the sea. See Jesus Walks on the Water (John 6:16-21).
Thanking the Father for Revealing Truth to Children (Matthew 11:25-26; Luke 10:21)
"I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will."
Luke says Jesus "rejoiced in the Holy Spirit" as he prayed this. It is one of the few times the Gospels describe Jesus as joyful, and the joy comes out as prayer. The seventy had just returned from their mission. Jesus thanks God that the kingdom belongs to the humble. See Jesus' Joy and Thanksgiving (Luke 10:21-24).
Healing a Deaf Man (Mark 7:34)
"Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, 'Ephphatha,' that is, 'Be opened.'"
Before Jesus speaks the healing word, he looks up and sighs. The sigh is prayer. Paul later says the Spirit intercedes "with sighs too deep for words" (Romans 8:26), and here Jesus prays the same way.
Before Peter's Confession (Luke 9:18)
"Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, 'Who do the crowds say that I am?'"
Out of that time of prayer came the question that changed everything, and Peter's answer: "The Messiah of God." See Peter's Confession (Luke 9:18-20).
At the Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-29)
"He took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white."
Only Luke says Jesus went up the mountain to pray and was transfigured while praying. Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with him about his coming departure in Jerusalem. See The Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36) and What Is the Mount of Transfiguration?
When the Disciples Asked to Learn (Luke 11:1)
"He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray.'"
The disciples never asked Jesus to teach them to preach or to heal. They asked him to teach them to pray. They had watched him long enough to know where everything else came from. His answer was the Lord's Prayer (see below).
Blessing the Children (Matthew 19:13-15)
"Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray."
The disciples tried to send the families away. Jesus welcomed the children, laid his hands on them, and prayed for them. See Bible Verses About Children.
At the Tomb of Lazarus (John 11:41-42)
"And Jesus looked upward and said, 'Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.'"
Jesus gives thanks before Lazarus comes out of the tomb. He prays as if the answer has already arrived, because for him it had. "I knew that you always hear me" is a window into his confidence in the Father. Moments earlier he had wept (John 11:35). See The Raising of Lazarus (John 11:38-44) and The Three Times Jesus Wept.
"Father, Glorify Your Name" (John 12:27-28)
"Now my soul is troubled... Father, glorify your name."
As his death approaches, Jesus admits his soul is troubled and considers asking to be spared. Instead he prays for the Father's glory. A voice answers from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." John's Gospel has no Gethsemane scene, and many readers see this prayer as John's version of that struggle. See Jesus Predicts His Death (John 12:20-36).
Prayers on the Last Night
Giving Thanks at the Last Supper (Luke 22:17-19)
"Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, 'Take this and divide it among yourselves'... Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them."
The Greek word for giving thanks is eucharisteo, which is why the church calls the Lord's Supper the Eucharist. Jesus gave thanks for the bread and cup on the night he was betrayed. Matthew adds that before they left, "they had sung the hymn" (Matthew 26:30), most likely the Hallel, Psalms 113-118, which were sung at Passover. Jesus walked to Gethsemane singing the Psalms. See Jesus and the Last Supper (Luke 22:7-23).
For Peter's Faith (Luke 22:31-32)
"Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
Jesus knew Peter would deny him three times that night. He prayed for Peter anyway, and he prayed for what would happen after the failure: that Peter would turn back and strengthen others. Jesus prays for the person you will be after your worst moment. See Jesus Foretells Peter's Denial (Luke 22:35-38).
"I Will Ask the Father" (John 14:16)
"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever."
On the last night, Jesus promises to pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is the answer to this prayer. See Another Advocate: Jesus Promises the Spirit (John 14:16).
The High Priestly Prayer (John 17)
John 17 is the longest recorded prayer of Jesus, 26 verses spoken aloud in front of his disciples. Since the sixteenth century it has been called the High Priestly Prayer, because Jesus stands between God and his people, praying for them as a priest. It moves in three widening circles.
Jesus prays for himself (John 17:1-5). "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you." Jesus defines eternal life in this prayer: "that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3). See Jesus Prays for His Glory (John 17:1-5) and John 17:1: The Hour of Glory.
Jesus prays for his disciples (John 17:6-19). He asks the Father to protect them and to sanctify them in the truth. "I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one" (John 17:15). See Jesus Prays for His Disciples (John 17:6-19).
Jesus prays for all future believers (John 17:20-26). "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one." If you are a Christian, Jesus prayed for you in this prayer, two thousand years before you were born. See Jesus Prays for All Believers (John 17:20-26) and the John 17 Outline and Meaning.
In Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46)
"Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want" (Mark 14:36).
All three Synoptic Gospels record this prayer, and together they show its full weight:
Jesus tells his friends, "I am deeply grieved, even to death" (Mark 14:34), and asks them to stay awake with him.
He falls to the ground and prays three times (Matthew 26:39-44).
His second prayer moves from "let this cup pass" to "your will be done" (Matthew 26:42).
Luke says, "In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground" (Luke 22:44). Some of the earliest manuscripts of Luke do not contain verses 43-44, and the NRSV prints them in double brackets.
He tells the sleeping disciples, "Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial" (Mark 14:38).
Hebrews remembers these hours this way: "In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission" (Hebrews 5:7). Gethsemane is the clearest picture in Scripture of honest prayer and surrender held together. See Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:39-46), What Is the Garden of Gethsemane?, and Jesus the Second Adam: How Gethsemane Reverses the Fall.
The Prayers of Jesus From the Cross
Jesus spoke seven times from the cross. Three of those sayings are prayers, and two of them come straight from the Psalms.
"Father, Forgive Them" (Luke 23:34)
"Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."
Jesus prayed for the soldiers driving the nails, and for everyone responsible. Like Luke 22:43-44, this verse is missing from some early manuscripts, yet it has been treasured by the church from its earliest centuries, and it matches everything Jesus taught: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). Stephen prayed the same prayer as he died (Acts 7:60). See The Crucifixion of Jesus (Luke 23:33-43) and Love Your Enemies (Luke 6:27-36).
"My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?" (Mark 15:34; Matthew 27:46)
"Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?"
Mark preserves Jesus' words in Aramaic, the language he spoke every day. They are the first line of Psalm 22. Jesus prayed the deepest lament in the Bible's prayer book at the moment of his deepest suffering. Psalm 22 begins in abandonment and ends in praise and the hope that "future generations will be told about the Lord" (Psalm 22:30). Those who heard Jesus pray its first line would have known how the psalm ends. See Bible Verses About Lament.
"Father, Into Your Hands I Commend My Spirit" (Luke 23:46)
"Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, 'Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.' Having said this, he breathed his last."
Jesus' last words are a prayer from Psalm 31:5, a verse later Jewish tradition included in its prayers before sleep. He adds one word the psalm does not have: "Father." Jesus died praying. See Jesus Dies (Luke 23:44-49).
Prayers After the Resurrection
Blessing the Bread at Emmaus (Luke 24:30-31)
"When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him."
The two disciples walked seven miles with the risen Jesus without knowing who he was. They recognized him the moment he prayed over the bread. See The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35).
Blessing the Disciples at His Ascension (Luke 24:50-51)
"Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven."
The last thing the disciples saw Jesus do on earth was pray a blessing over them with his hands raised. See The Ascension of Jesus (Acts 1:1-11).
The Prayer Jesus Is Praying Now
The prayers of Jesus did not end at the ascension. The New Testament says the risen Christ is still praying for his people.
"Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us" (Romans 8:34).
"He is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).
"If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1).
Jesus prayed for Peter's faith on the night Peter failed him. He prayed for future believers in John 17. Scripture says he is praying the same way right now. Read more in Great High Priest, Advocate, and Bible Verses About Intercessory Prayer.
The Words Jesus Prayed: Abba and Aramaic
Jesus grew up speaking Aramaic, and a few of his prayers keep his original words in the Greek Gospels.
Abba (Mark 14:36): the Aramaic word for "father," used by children and grown sons and daughters alike. The scholar Joachim Jeremias famously argued that Jesus' habit of calling God Abba was something new in the prayers of his time. Later scholars have cautioned against translating it as baby talk like "Daddy." It is the warm, ordinary word a child of any age used for a father. Paul says the Spirit teaches believers to pray it too (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6). See Abba Father.
Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani (Mark 15:34): "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Ephphatha (Mark 7:34): "Be opened," spoken after a sigh toward heaven.
Whenever the Gospels record how Jesus addressed God in prayer, he calls him Father, with one exception: the cry of Psalm 22 from the cross. For more, see Aramaic Words in the Bible and What Language Did Jesus Speak?
What Did Jesus Pray For?
Put the recorded prayers side by side and a pattern appears. Jesus asked the Father:
To glorify the Father's name (John 12:28)
To glorify the Son so the Son could glorify the Father (John 17:1)
To protect his disciples from the evil one (John 17:15)
To make his followers holy through the truth (John 17:17)
To make all believers one (John 17:21)
To keep Peter's faith from failing (Luke 22:32)
To send the Spirit (John 14:16)
To let the cup pass from him, if possible (Mark 14:36)
To forgive the people crucifying him (Luke 23:34)
Notice what is missing. Jesus never prays for comfort, wealth, or reputation. Almost every request is for the Father's glory or for other people. The one request for himself, in Gethsemane, ends in "not what I want, but what you want."
What Jesus Taught About Prayer
Jesus taught about prayer as often as he practiced it:
The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4): his pattern prayer for the disciples. See What Does the Lord's Prayer in the Bible Mean? and Jesus Teaches the Lord's Prayer (Luke 11:1-13).
Pray in secret (Matthew 6:5-6): prayer is for God, not an audience.
Skip the empty phrases (Matthew 6:7-8): the Father already knows what you need.
Ask, search, knock (Matthew 7:7-11): a good Father gives good gifts.
The friend at midnight (Luke 11:5-13): keep asking, and the Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. See The Hope of Our Prayer (Luke 11:1-13).
The persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8): "pray always and not to lose heart." See The Parable of the Persistent Widow.
The Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14): God hears "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" See The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.
Forgive when you pray (Mark 11:25): prayer and forgiveness travel together.
Pray for your enemies (Matthew 5:44).
Pray for workers (Matthew 9:38): "ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers."
Two or three gathered (Matthew 18:19-20): Jesus is present when his people pray together.
Ask in my name (John 14:13-14; 16:23-24): "Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete." See Grief Will Turn to Joy (John 16:16-33).
For the full range of Scripture's teaching on prayer, read Bible Verses About Prayer.
Why Did Jesus Pray If He Is God?
Christians confess that Jesus is fully God and fully human, as the Council of Chalcedon put it in 451, "truly God and truly man." His prayers belong to his true humanity. He was hungry, he was tired, he wept, and he prayed. "Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8).
His prayers also reveal the life of the Trinity. When Jesus prays "Father," we overhear the Son speaking with the Father in the Spirit, a relationship that existed before the world began: "the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed" (John 17:5). Prayer for Jesus was the outward sign of that eternal relationship lived out in a human life.
And his prayers were for us. Jesus prayed as our representative, and he invites us into the same relationship. Because he taught us to say "Our Father," his Father becomes our Father (John 20:17).
How to Pray Like Jesus
Jesus' prayer life gives a pattern any Christian can follow:
Make space to be alone with God. Jesus prayed before dawn and in deserted places (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16).
Pray before big decisions. He prayed all night before choosing the Twelve (Luke 6:12).
Give thanks out loud. Over bread, at a tomb, and at a table (John 6:11; John 11:41; Luke 22:19).
Pray the Psalms. He sang them at Passover and prayed them on the cross (Matthew 26:30; Mark 15:34; Luke 23:46).
Pray for specific people. Peter by name (Luke 22:32), his disciples, and believers not yet born (John 17).
Be honest, then surrender. "Remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want" (Mark 14:36).
Pray for your enemies. "Father, forgive them" (Luke 23:34).
For daily prayers shaped by Scripture, see Prayers for the Day and Nightly Prayers. For every prayer in the Bible, not only Jesus', see the Complete List of Prayers in the Bible.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many prayers of Jesus are in the Bible? The Gospels record about two dozen moments when Jesus prayed, gave thanks, or blessed God. His actual words survive in about a dozen of them, including the Lord's Prayer, John 17, Gethsemane, and his three prayers from the cross.
What is the longest prayer of Jesus? The High Priestly Prayer in John 17, at 26 verses.
What is the shortest prayer of Jesus? "Father, glorify your name" (John 12:28) and "Ephphatha" (Mark 7:34) are among the shortest.
What was Jesus' last prayer? On the cross, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46). After the resurrection, the last prayer the Gospels record is his blessing of the disciples at the ascension (Luke 24:50-51).
Did Jesus pray all night? Yes. Before choosing the twelve apostles, "he spent the night in prayer to God" (Luke 6:12).
What language did Jesus pray in? Jesus spoke Aramaic, and Mark preserves some of his Aramaic prayer words, including Abba (Mark 14:36) and Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani (Mark 15:34).
Why is John 17 called the High Priestly Prayer? Because Jesus prays as a priest for his people, interceding for his disciples and all future believers. The title became common in the sixteenth century.
Did Jesus ever pray for himself? Yes. In John 17:1-5 he asks to be glorified so that he may glorify the Father, and in Gethsemane he asks that the cup pass from him.
Is Jesus still praying today? Yes. Scripture says the risen Christ "always lives to make intercession" for his people (Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34).
What did Jesus say about how to pray? He taught the Lord's Prayer, warned against praying for show or with empty phrases, and urged persistence, forgiveness, and prayer for enemies (Matthew 6:5-15; Luke 11:1-13; 18:1-8).
Works Consulted
Brown, Raymond E. The Death of the Messiah. Doubleday.
Brown, Raymond E. The Gospel According to John. Anchor Bible.
Jeremias, Joachim. The Prayers of Jesus. Fortress Press.
Keller, Timothy. Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God. Dutton.
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version.
