PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Luke 6:12-16
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Jesus spent the night praying to God.” (Luke 6:12)
When is the last time you spent a long time praying for something.
Was it a big decision or major crisis that led you to pray like this?
Jesus is on a mission from God, and he is picking His successors.
This was a very important decision for his mission.
I’m convinced he didn’t just get a list of names from God.
He wrestled it through with God, he prayed through each candidate.
He knew how they would struggle, suffer and die for joining him.
The key thing I want to highlight is how seriously he took his mission.
Are we as eager and active in pursuing our kingdom purpose?
Is it the things of God or the things of ME that keep me awake praying?
Following Jesus is a mission, a calling, not a key to get what I want.
Our calling is also very serious, God has a lot invested in us, for us!
Maybe you’re not sure what your mission is, what God wants you to do.
Is THIS the first thing we should spend a long time praying about?
PRAYER
Lord, I may need to wrestle more in prayer like this for my kingdom mission. Help me to see that my calling is as serious, and as dependent on God for help!
Do I take prayer seriously enough. Jesus spent the night in prayer – in communication with the Father. It was his lifeline. Right after that he calls his group of disciples – and out of them he picks the 12 – “he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them”. Did the Father help him? At least He encouraged and enabled Jesus to move on and select the 12 in which he would invest more time and training. But it starts and is enabled by prayer. At the end of his earthly mission -before his crucifixion – Jesus also spent critical time in prayer. Jesus needed the affirmation of the Father. We all need that – prayer is so important – it should never be an ‘after thought’! I need to know my calling as a believer and to pray and act accordingly!
Spending time with God in prayer. Being equipped for service. The men chosen were ordinary men called to serve. God calls His to be kingdom workers. God calls ordinary people for His servants, doing His will. He enables His servants to do mighty things in His name. Today is His day and I need His strength and power to be able to serve Him in the challenges of the day.
Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise