Many ask: If Jesus is fully God, why did He pray? Was He talking to Himself? That question is honest and deserves a clear, Scripture-rooted explanation.
Let’s walk through this together, simply and reasonably.
🔸 Example 1: The Role of a Mirror
Imagine a mirror placed in front of sunlight. The light reflects brightly, but the mirror is not the sun itself — it only reveals it.
Now think of Jesus: He was the express image of the invisible God. He wasn’t a second person in God — rather, He was God revealing Himself in flesh. When He prayed, He prayed from His humanity, like the mirror humbly turned toward its source of light.
The mirror isn’t pretending. It’s simply in position. Jesus, as a man, perfectly reflected the divine will and purpose — teaching us to rely on God in prayer, even as He Himself demonstrated submission.
🔸 Example 2: A King Writing a Law
Suppose a king writes a law and later comes to live among the people as one of them. He follows the law He wrote, not because He’s confused about who He is — but to fulfill righteousness and set an example.
Jesus, being God in the flesh, lived as the perfect man. His prayers were not confusion within Himself. Rather, He humbled Himself to demonstrate what we must do — submit, obey, and commune with God.
He was not a separate being trying to reach another. He was God’s Spirit in human form, fulfilling His own purpose in a real, human body.
🔸 Example 3: A Shepherd Entering the Sheepfold
Think of a shepherd who decides to live with the sheep. He puts on the same coat of wool, walks their path, and eats what they eat — not because He’s no longer the shepherd, but because He loves them enough to experience their life.
That’s what happened when God came in the body of Christ. Jesus prayed because He walked as one of us. His prayers were not theatrical, but real expressions of a perfect Man — the Lamb of God — showing us how to draw near to the Father.
🔸 What the Scriptures Show
Jesus said, “The Father who dwells in Me does the works.” (John 14:10) — He was never disconnected from God.
He said, “I can of mine own self do nothing.” (John 5:30) — not because He lacked power, but because He lived in full dependence, showing us how to live.
Hebrews 5:7 speaks of Jesus offering prayers “with strong crying and tears” — because He was truly human, though fully filled with the Spirit of God.
🔸 Conclusion
So when Jesus prayed, He was not having a conversation between two divine personalities. He was the perfect example of a human being filled with the fullness of God. His prayers were sincere, not staged — revealing His deep submission, not confusion.
This invites us into a greater mystery — not a contradiction, but a beauty: that God didn’t stay far away. He came near, took on flesh, and spoke with the voice of a man — while still being the eternal Spirit within.
That is not a puzzle. That’s the glory of Emmanuel — God with us.