I’ve heard it said that “prayer began in a garden” (meaning the Garden of Eden), but I don’t think that’s true. In the simplest sense of the word, prayer is people communicating TO God. In Eden, there was two-way communication between God and people, what would be better termed “communion”. Prayer began when face-to-face communion ended, as Adam and Eve were banished from the garden. Since that time, man has done a lot of praying.
As the Bible records it, prayer took place in many places: in open fields, in the wilderness, under the stars, in tents, under trees, from the belly of a big fish, in temples and in gardens. It would be hard to contend that one place was better than another (more acceptable to God, that is) as a place of prayer. However, if Jesus preferred certain types of places to pray while He walked the earth, it can be inferred from scripture that it was mountaintops when in the country and a garden when in the city. Repeatedly the Gospels tell of Him rising early, going to lonely places and mountain tops to pray. In the city (Jerusalem), he apparently had His prayer and fellowship hang-out as well; just outside Jerusalem, across the Kidron Valley, at the base of the Mount of Olives in a garden called Gethsemane. How do we know He frequented this place? John tells us that is how Judas knew where to lead the guards to arrest Jesus. (John 18:1) Continue Reading »