11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,
16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
Luke 6:11-16.
Jesus had just finished healing the man with the withered right hand. He had encountered the man in the synagogue on the Sabbath Day. The Pharisees would judge Jesus by whether or not he kept the Sabbath. In their religious minds acts of healing were unacceptable to be performed on this sacred day. But the Lord of the Sabbath would not bow to their religious restrictions. It was more important to alleviate suffering while honoring God on this day. When he had healed the man, the Pharisees, in their madness, huddled to determine a game plan to rid the nation of Jesus.
Jesus prayed. It is easy to imagine what he might have prayed about. Or what I might have prayed about. With my life in danger I might have considered finding some other occupation to engage in. At the least, I would have considered leaving town and trying to find a more friendly audience.
Jesus was undaunted. He would not abandon his purpose.
After an all-night prayer vigil he chose to expand his ministry and his outreach.
13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles.
Those he chose after prayer were not perfect candidates. But they were chosen because they could best fulfill Jesus’ mission. Even Judas.
Some decisions we make even after prayer may not exactly turn out the way we think they should. But if we have prayed and trust God for his leading, things will turn out to best suit the purposes of God.
Eleven of the twelve chosen ones, called apostles, after much training and preparation, passed the course. One failed. But even the failure was part of the directive Jesus received from prayer. Jesus chose properly and correctly. Judas chose otherwise. But even Judas was part of the ultimately successful plan of God.
So, the decisions we make after prayer will be God directed. If one aspect of it seems to fail it has not. Whether the failure is attributable to someone exercising their free will, or to some other causal effect, including the perfect plan of God, we can rest assured God answered our prayer, directed us in our decisions, and above all, the purpose of God was fulfilled.
And even the “failed” part of it will work together for good for we love God and are the called according to his purpose.
Jesus prayed all night. Afterward he chose the men who would catch his vision and continue his work. Through them, Jesus built his church.
While our answers to prayer may not be so far reaching, they will result in a fulfilled purpose of God.
Let us pray.
Purpose! Ministries
A Praying Church - A Healing Church - A Holy Spirit Church - A Preaching Church
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