Pray Like Jesus: Learn to Pray to God as Father

By Mark Driscoll and Ashley Chase

"Pray Like Jesus," co-authored by Pastor Mark and his daughter Ashley, is more than just a book; it's a journey into the profound prayer life of Jesus. This book is not merely meant to change the way you pray; it aims to transform your entire life. Many books cover prayer and the life of Jesus, but few delve into Jesus's prayer life, which is a paragon of perfect communion with God.

Pastor Mark and Ashley explore the how, why, and where of Jesus's prayer habits, offering biblical, practical, and accessible insights. They break down what Jesus taught about prayer and how He modeled it, making this book an indispensable guide for those who value prayer but struggle to maintain momentum in their prayer lives.

In "Pray Like Jesus," the authors help you build momentum in your prayer life. They show you how to experience the presence of God in an ever-deepening, life-giving, burden-relieving, and hope-lifting relationship with Jesus Christ. If you're ready to transform your prayer life and, by extension, your entire life, this book is your roadmap.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jun 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9781629999272

Mark Driscoll

Mark Driscoll is one of the 50 most influential pastors in America, and the founder of Mars Hill Church in Seattle (www.marshillchurch.org), the Paradox Theater, and the Acts 29 Network which has planted scores of churches. Mark is the author of The Radical Reformission: Reaching Out Without Selling Out. He speaks extensively around the country, has lectured at a number of seminaries, and has had wide media exposure ranging from NPR’s All Things Considered to the 700 Club, and from Leadership Journal to Mother Jones magazine. He’s a staff religion writer for the Seattle Times. Along with his wife and children, Mark lives in Seattle.

Book preview

Chapter 1

JESUS’ SECRET TO PRAYER

Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

—MATTHEW 18:3

Prayer.

Be honest. Does just reading that word make you feel at least a little bit guilty?

Talking about your prayer life often makes you feel scrutinized or nervous. It’s the spiritual equivalent of talking about your diet or exercise—you know you could do better. You’re easily embarrassed to talk about it or apologetic about your lack of consistency. Some don’t know how to pray or don’t pray enough; others only pray at the last minute, not unlike only dialing the police in the case of an emergency. We can’t remember ever meeting anyone who thought they prayed often enough, earnestly enough, or faithfully enough.

Making matters worse, maybe you don’t understand prayer, no one has ever told you how to pray, or, like with the kid in school who never really learned how to read, others just assume you know how to pray when you in fact do not and are a bit embarrassed to admit it.

We are here to help.

Prayer is not something you have to do. Prayer is something you get to do. Our goal is not to beat you up. Our goal is to build you up. Talking with a Father who loves you and wants to hear from you should feel like a burden-lifting delight and not a burden-giving duty. Your Father loves you, always has time for you, likes to help you, and invites you, saying, Call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.a

Grace and I (Mark) have five kids. One time when they were little, we were snuggled on the couch, eating popcorn and licorice while watching a television show about someone who had never met her dad. The kids were likely too young to remember that night, but I will never forget it. When she was very young, a child got separated from her parents while moving to America. The child grew up never knowing her parents and wondering whether she was unloved or abandoned. This loss in her life was a burden she carried into adulthood. As the now adult became a parent with her own child, she decided to finally do some research to hopefully discover who her parents were and whether they were alive.

Prayer is not something you have to do.

Prayer is something you get to do.

After some research, she discovered that her mother had passed away but her father was still alive. Amid a lot of internal emotional wrestling, she reached out to her father, unsure of how she would be received. The father was completely overjoyed and overcome with emotion when his lost child called. He immediately jumped on a plane and flew to meet his child, as he could not bear the thought of one more moment without her. The reunion scene had me crying so hard that the kids on the couch stopped watching the show and stared at me instead. I was a hot mess, minus the hot. The picture of the father running with tears in his eyes to kiss and hug his long-lost daughter reminded me of the salvation experience for every Christian.

The father put his hands on the face of his lost child, who was now found. With tears running down his face and a smile on his lips, he said something like, You wandered off, and I have been looking for you ever since. I love you so much! I missed you so much! I want you to tell me everything about you!

Your Father God is like this. Your salvation is like this. In prayer you are a loved, lost-but-found child taking the time to talk with your Dad, who longs to listen.

In its most general sense, prayer simply means communicating with God, whether done audibly (as God hears our words) or silently (as God knows our thoughts). Prayer is the primary way we engage in a relationship with God, and just as communication is key to interpersonal relationships, it is vital to our relationship with God. Moreover, because communication is designed to run two ways, prayer can include both speaking to God and hearing from God.

When I (Ashley) started reading the Bible for myself, my dad explained to me that the Bible is God’s Word, so praying to Him as you read it allows you to have a conversation with Him. This concept made a lot of sense to me, so I would pray before reading that God would teach me something new. Afterward, I would write what He showed me and thank Him. I have continued this practice to this day, and I still see Bible reading and prayer as inextricably connected.

I am thankful for this lesson because it came in handy while making the second-most important decision of my life: whom to marry. During my last year of college, I had a close friend who I was sensing was becoming more than that. He loved the Lord and served at our church, and my whole family loved him (which is a big deal when your dad is Mark Driscoll). I, however, was not ready to settle down, as I wanted to travel and work in South America for a few years.

I felt in my spirit as if I had reached a crossroads since my plans started to fall through, and I feared that, yet again, God’s plan was very different from mine. Knowing this was a very serious decision, I began to pray and fast, and I even asked my parents and a few close friends to join me. I had some honest conversations with God about my fears and frustrations, and when I expressed my desires to Him, He graciously brought me to passages of Scripture that both convicted and opened my heart to see His way. Despite my emerging confidence in His plan, I knew I would need wise counsel to follow through, so I prayed that He would speak clearly to my parents as well.

As it turns out, my now husband was also fasting and praying at the same time, and after about a week, we talked and decided it was time to start dating. Our decision was confirmed by many things that God spoke to us audibly, through the Bible, and through wise counsel that all came together like puzzle pieces of God’s greater plan—not to mention that we both felt a huge burden lifted after finally realizing God’s calling.

A little over a year later, we are happily married, are serving the Lord together, and can see why God redirected both of our steps to His best plan, which neither of us could have imagined. As a Father, God loves marriage, and I was thrilled to have my dad officiate our ceremony at our church. And to top it all off, we went to South America for our honeymoon, proving that God both has a sense of humor and wants to bless His kids so long as their desires are in His will.

As the Father’s child, your conversations with God can be done anywhere and in a variety of ways, whether in a traditional posture of bent knees, bowed head, and clasped hands or in more natural ways, as when you’re driving the car, mowing the yard, or shopping for groceries. You can journal your prayers or pray through the writing of songs or poetry. You can shout your prayers, or you can maintain a receptive silence, listening for the still, small voice of God. You can even use art and creativity as a way to pray.

I (Ashley) can remember doodling during my dad’s sermons and drawing Bible verses on long road trips since I was very young. While living in Costa Rica, I began Bible journaling, which for me looks like creating watercolor art on the pages of my Bible when God brings images to mind while I read. I also paint while praying for people at times, as God gives me verses or pictures to share with them. Sometimes when I don’t have the words to say, art helps me express what I’m feeling to God, whether it’s a couple of scribbles or a complex painting.

No matter how or when you pray, the goal is always the same: to build your loving child-parent relationship with God. This concept has made more and more sense to me (Mark) as Grace and I parent our kids. One thing has remained constant from the time that our children were little to the present day, when I now look up at Ashley’s three brothers, who have outgrown me: I did not much care what we did so long as they knew I loved them and we were building our relationship. When the boys were young, this meant a lot of wrestling, an infinite number of hours playing ball, and me frequently playing Goliath as they pretended to end my life in tribute to David. When the two girls were young, this meant playing board games, having countless tea parties, and going on more than a few expensive daddy dates.

So long as they knew I loved them, we were together, and we were building our relationship, my joy came in seeing their joy. I wanted to be in their world, enjoying their company and capturing their heart. Not only did I love our kids, but I also liked them—and still do. God the Father is like that with you, His child, but He’s infinitely better in a way that only a perfect Dad could