Bill Johnson - The Only Thing the Disciples Asked Jesus to Teach Them
The disciples only asked Jesus to teach them one thing. If I were in the disciples' shoes, I might have asked him how to raise the dead, how to heal the sick, or how to perform any number of extraordinary things. The twelve disciples, who were with him constantly, were actually moved by everything Jesus did and said, but they were shaken by one thing alone: «Lord, teach us to pray.» Through observation, they intuitively knew that whenever Jesus left them to go up onto a mountain, things were different when he came down. There was something about their ability to observe how he functioned and handled situations.
For example, the scripture tells us that he had great admiration for John the Baptist, his cousin and the greatest of all prophets, who prepared the way for Jesus himself. The Bible tells us that when Jesus received news of John being beheaded, he left the crowd and went up to pray. I don’t want to read too much into this, but it is obvious that, in his humanity, he was deeply affected by the one he admired so much, who laid down his life for him. He needed to get along and pray.
Our prayer life is defined by many things. We tend to learn to pray fervently or passionately out of pain—maybe a loss or a crisis. We engage in reactionary defense praying fairly well. In times of crisis, perhaps when someone is dying, we might call for prayer and fasting. None of that is inappropriate; those are appropriate actions. However, we often learn to pray focused, fervent prayers out of pain or crisis.
In Mark 9, the disciples were with Jesus when they tried to bring deliverance to a child. A father brought his son to them, and they did their best. Keep in mind that the disciples were the most experienced group in deliverance up to that point, aside from Jesus. They tried everything they had done before with this child but could not set him free. When Jesus came, he brought deliverance. Later, they took him aside privately and asked him why they couldn’t succeed. Jesus didn’t give the answer that the church would provide; he said, «This kind only comes out through prayer and fasting.» Despite that, he didn’t pray or fast at that moment.
At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus fasted for forty days. He wasn’t fasting for a problem; he was fasting into a lifestyle. We tend to pray defensively and reactionarily because of crises, challenges, or opportunities. While that is not wrong, it often leaves us playing catch-up—not just for timing but in our spiritual lives. We frequently find ourselves behind in certain areas and must fight our way back to the front.
So the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, which moves me, as it was the only thing they asked to be taught out of everything they witnessed. This suggests that to those who watched him, prayer was the key to everything.
In Matthew 26:41, we find, «Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.» This verse indicates that prayerlessness or weakness in prayer exposes me to temptation I didn’t need to face. It not only allows exposure to temptation but may also expose me to temptations that I may or may not have the grace to overcome. Jesus continues to describe praying so that I do not fall into temptation. I don’t believe he is simply saying, «Oh God, please don’t lead me into temptation.» Instead, he points out that a prayerful life insulates you from temptation.
A few weeks ago, I shared with you from 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18: «Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks.» I mentioned three things that I felt the Lord revealed to me. About two and a half months ago, I was awakened one night with this phrase. During my internal dialogue with God, I recalled that scripture. As I reflected on those verses, I felt the Lord speak to me about mental health. I remembered hearing a psychologist say that around 90 percent of all mental illness can be traced back to the attempt to avoid pain. There is something about embracing your moment, surrendering it to the sovereignty of God, knowing that he alone is good, and giving thanks amidst it.
Furthermore, I felt that the key to emotional health is to rejoice always. Before we were believers, we only rejoiced when we felt joy. However, in the Kingdom, we obtain joy by rejoicing. Therefore, the measure of joy in my life is determined by my choices. If I’m lacking joy, it is simply evidence of the decisions I make.
Lastly, the call to pray without ceasing is vital for heart health. Jesus said that adulteries and murders come from the heart. Yet on the other end of the spectrum, he said, «Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.» Managing the heart is crucial for how well we navigate life. One of my life verses comes from Proverbs 4:23, which states, «Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the issues of life.»
Heart health is praying without ceasing while keeping my heart in touch with God’s heart. When I allow distance between God’s heart and mine, I must struggle to do the right things; they do not come as naturally as they would if I shared his heart.
Once again, «Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.» The spirit is eager to pray; the flesh is weak concerning prayer. Thus, the strength of my prayer life is determined by the strength of my spirit over my flesh. A weak prayer life often indicates a dominant flesh. The Holy Spirit resides in your spirit, enjoying perfect communion day and night. However, human weakness, frailty, and carnal desires can sometimes take mastery over one’s spirit. Mastery over the flesh is vital for an effective prayer life.
Now, let’s explore further. The purpose of prayer is multifaceted, but I do not want to oversimplify or diminish its importance. I want to summarize it from my perspective tonight: the purpose of prayer is not merely to talk to God about tasks but to obtain His heart. The more we align with His heart, the more we pray not as parrots reciting words, but as a product of a relational connection with Him. John 15 tells us that a servant does not know what his master is doing, but a friend does. The servant is accustomed to responding to commands, which is fine as that is our initial learning; however, what he seeks is our interest and understanding of His heart. When we align with God’s heart, we can pray what He would pray if He were in our shoes. This co-laboring reveals God’s heart on earth, showing that He wants us to mirror His nature in our prayer lives. Touching the heart of God gives us a unique advantage that I hope we can embrace more aggressively as we move forward as a church family.