Even though the Lord prayed often, Mark records only three specific times when He prayed (1:35; 6:46; 14:32). All three times were at night. On all three occasions, the Lord withdrew to be by Himself. Each time of prayer was also a reminder that He had come to suffer. For example, the third time Jesus prays in the Gospel of Mark is in the Garden of Gethsemane.

One would be tempted to conclude that Jesus prayed in order to be strengthened. As the perfect Human, He gave us an example to follow. If He needed to spend this time with the Father, then we certainly do. Prayer is needed in light of the temptations and trials we face.

This view of prayer in the life of the Lord focuses on the individual benefits of prayer. We would say that we need prayer because of what it does for our own spiritual health.

All of that is true. We will certainly experience personal benefits from prayer.

But the examples of prayer in the life of the Lord teach us something more. The second episode of the Lord’s praying in Mark shows us that He was not simply spending time with the Father in order to remind Himself of what He came to do. He was not just showing us that we, as well, need to rely upon God.

This second episode happens immediately before the Lord walks on the Sea of Galilee (6:45-52). He had just miraculously fed the multitude. He then sent the disciples to the other side of the sea in a boat. After doing so, He withdrew to a mountain and prayed.

In the feeding of the multitude, Christ had shown the disciples that He was their Shepherd. He would meet all their needs. They had nothing to fear. The Lord did not just perform a miracle. He was teaching the disciples. He wanted them to grow in their understanding of who He was and what that meant for following Him.

We should not think that Jesus was only praying for God to help Him complete His mission. I must admit that I do not understand what the interactions between the Son and the Father in the prayers of Christ would have involved. But there is one thing I do know. On that mountain, while praying, Jesus was praying for the disciples.

The disciples, who were in the boat in the middle of the sea, were being trained by the Lord. Mark tells us that on that mountain, the Lord was observing how they were doing. In v 48, it says that the Lord “saw them.” He saw the difficulties they were going through as they were rowing against the wind in an attempt to get to the other side. They had been straining for hours.

In their training program, the Lord wanted them to learn that their Shepherd would take care of them. They couldn’t see Him, but He could see them. He had told them to get into the boat. Having just seen the Lord meet all their needs in the feeding of the multitude, they should have understood that their Shepherd knew what they were going through.

But they didn’t. When Jesus came to them, walking on the sea, they became terrified. The Lord told them not to be afraid (v 50). They shouldn’t have been afraid! The Lord calmed the wind and met their needs, just as He had when He had fed the multitude. Mark wants his readers to see that the disciples had failed this test. His final statement of this account bears it out. The disciples had hard hearts and had not learned what the Lord had taught them when He fed the multitude (v 52).

This is a beautiful picture. The Lord was teaching His disciples. Even though they were slow in learning their lessons, He was intimately concerned with their progress. He was watching over them. He was praying for them. He wanted them to succeed. That is what He was doing on that mountain.

I am glad that the Lord gave us an example of the importance of prayer in our own lives. But I am also glad to see Him praying for His disciples. It lets me know He is praying for me (Heb 7:25). He is watching me. He wants me to succeed in my Christian life. If you are a believer, the same is true for you.