QUESTION:
IF JESUS IS GOD, WHY DOES HE NEED TO PRAY TO THE FATHER?
ANSWER:
Far from proving weakness, Jesus’ prayers display the wonder of the Incarnation: the eternal Son became fully human, veiling the independent use of His divine powers while modeling perfect dependence on the Father.
This question gets to the heart of both the mystery and the beauty of the Incarnation. Many people wonder, If Jesus is truly God, why did He pray? Was He lacking something? Did He lose His divine attributes like omniscience or omnipotence?
Let’s walk through it clearly and biblically.
1. Jesus Prayed Because He Was Fully Human
When the eternal Son of God took on flesh (John 1:14), He didn’t just appear to be human—He became fully human while remaining fully God. As a true man, He experienced everything that comes with humanity: hunger, fatigue, sorrow, temptation—and the need for communion with the Father.
Just like we pray not because we’re ignorant or weak, but because we want to align ourselves with God, Jesus prayed as part of His perfect human life of obedience and dependence.
“Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” – Hebrews 5:8
His prayers weren’t a sign of weakness—but of perfect relationship, perfect submission, and perfect love.
2. Jesus Did Not Lose His Divine Attributes—but He “Veiled” Them
This is key: Jesus did not stop being God when He became man. He didn’t lose His divine nature—but He voluntarily veiled His divine glory and limited the independent use of His divine powers.
This concept is known as the kenosis, from Philippians 2:6–7:
“Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation…”
In other words, Jesus chose not to fully exercise certain divine attributes in order to live a truly human life and accomplish redemption as our representative.
So no, He didn’t lose omnipotence or omniscience—but He willingly submitted to the Father and relied on the Holy Spirit to carry out the Father’s will. That’s why Jesus said:
“I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.” – John 8:28
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” – Mark 13:32
He voluntarily took a position of submission—not inferiority—to fulfill the role of the Suffering Servant.
3. Jesus Prayed to Model Perfect Dependence and Communion
Every time Jesus prayed, He was showing us how we ought to live in constant fellowship with God. His entire life was saturated in prayer—from early mornings alone with the Father (Mark 1:35), to moments before miracles (John 11:41–42), to agonizing cries in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39), and even on the cross (Luke 23:46).
“He always lives to make intercession for them.” – Hebrews 7:25
Even now, Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, praying for us. Prayer wasn’t a sign of lacking divinity—it was a sign of His love and perfect communion with the Father.
Final Thought
Jesus did not pray because He lacked divine power or knowledge. He prayed because He chose to live the flawless human life we never could, showing that Jesus is God in humility, love, and perfect obedience. His prayers prove not a deficiency but a dazzling condescension—God stooping to lift us up. And because the Master’s entire life was saturated with prayer, ours should be too. Let us imitate Him by seeking the Father early and often, pouring out our hearts in dependence, aligning our will with His, and trusting that the Son who once prayed on earth now intercedes for us in heaven. May Christ’s example move us from sporadic petitions to a lifestyle of constant, intimate communion with God.
