Jesus Prayed

"One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor." Luke 6:12-16 [italics mine]

I belong to a small group study. We are currently studying a book on prayer. In the past week, we have looked at Jesus Christ's pattern of prayer in His own life. I found this verse of particular interest.

Jesus prayed publicly and privately. He prayed brief prayers and lengthy prayers. He spent time in prayer in the morning and sometimes all night long. He prayed aloud and He prayed in the silence of His heart. Obviously, Jesus thought is was very important to spend time with Almighty God in prayer (conversation).

But it really struck me as significant that Jesus spent all night praying the night before He selected His 12 Apostles. Jesus had many followers. But He wanted to be certain that He selected the 12 Apostles that the Father wanted to serve as His inner circle. These 12 Apostles would represent the 12 Tribes of Israel and the coming of the Kingdom of God.

We can learn for Christ's example. There are times when we have decisions before us that will effect our lives in many ways. And the lives of other around us. We may never be called to a task as great as selecting 12 Apostles that will help launch a world wide faith. But He will call us to some rather grand decisions.

Do we make our time with God a priority? Do we only chat with Him throughout the day? Or do we take time to listen to His voice for extended periods of time? God desires to commune with us. He has great plans for our lives. But we must make the time to spend it with Him.

Lord, help us make time with You a priority. Give us a desire to spend time with you in prayer and in your Word. We want to live lives that are pleasing to you. Please help us to know your will for our lives. Amen.