9/23/2015
Luke 6.13 And when
day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named
apostles... – St. Luke, the Doctor
There were many who followed Jesus, but the Lord chose only
twelve. There were large crowds that followed Jesus but only a handful were
selected to be His closest companions.
In Luke’s gospel it says in 6.12 “In these days [Jesus] went out to the mountain to pray, and all night
he continued in prayer to God.” It was like God had handed Him a large tray
full of precious jewels and Jesus examined them all and chose twelve to be His
closest students. I can’t imagine the thought process involved. It is the power
of prayer and the counsel of God.
I think there was a divine discussion as the Father said,
“This one. That one. That one over there.”
From before the foundation of the world was laid, God already knew who
would be on Jesus’ team. It wasn’t a matter of popularity, or intellect, or
good looks; it was a matter of divine decision. Prayer is part of the process.
I don’t know that I’ve ever prayed all night about
something. I know I’ve worried all night as I’ve faced tough things. I know as
I do what I do, prayer must be a part of all
I do; as a husband, a father, a churchman, a business man; a citizen of this
country; as a child of God. Most of the time I just wing it. Most of the time I
think about praying for an instant and then fly off and do what I think I
ought. Rarely have I set aside a period of time to have a divine discussion and
really listened for the voice of God to show me: This one. That one, that one over there.
I love the way the New Living Translation puts it in Philippians, chapter
4, verse 6: Don’t worry about anything;
instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all
he has done. That is great advice; especially for those who tend to worry about
everything and fear the worst.
Today, I am reminded that I must pray. I almost wanted to
say, I need to pray more; but
quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality. I must pray. I must include God in
all my doings; my comings and goings. I’m not keeping score, I simply look to
God to help me as I seek divine decisions.
Father, awaken in
me anew, the reality of prayer and the preciousness of Your presence. Help me
to stop and discuss with You what I am trying to do, and to thank You for what
You are doing, and what You’ve already done. It is a trust thing and I ask for
Your help in this, this day. Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment