Can you imagine Jesus praying in such a summarized way? Why did Jesus get up early and go outside to pray? Surely He could wrap it all up in a few sentences, then return immediately to the comfort of His bed! Why did Jesus go to the trouble to travel out into the wilderness? If He prayed like many of us do, He could have stayed at home! Why did He pray all night? Surely a few minutes, or an hour at most, could have sufficed!
No, Jesus knew something about prayer that we have yet to learn.
Obviously Jesus had many specific items to consider. These in turn required time so that each could be placed before God’s throne. His relationship with the Father and His mission to the world were so important that He left nothing to chance. Each item, each step, each relevant person was deliberately placed into the Father’s hands for proper care. Yes, there were universal concerns. He did pray for all believers and for the lost world. But he could not discharge His prayer duty by generalities alone. He touched on the broad surface and, more than that, He dived deep into the particular details. That surely helps to account for the kind of time Jesus invested in prayer.