PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS (4)

“Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to PRAY, and continued ALL NIGHT IN PRAYER to God” – Luke 6:12

Our Lord Jesus Christ as our Perfect Model, demonstrated what it means to PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS: “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to PRAY, and continued ALL NIGHT IN PRAYER to God” (Lk.6:12). Few events were more imperative in Jesus' ministry than His selection of apostles. How would He select twelve from the mob that followed Him? These men would have to be the initial leaders in a movement that would transform the world. Jesus had to choose individuals who would be able to stand up to the challenges to be faced as one of His chosen twelve!

Sometimes we are faced with some incredibly important decisions in life that could potentially make or break our entire future. It could be a family decision such as who to marry, or how to train the children. We may be facing such a decision in life right now, with the attendant stress and worry. We might have thought about it, talked with others about it, and weighed the pros and cons. The deadline for the decision is looming, but we just cannot make up our mind. It may be the time to spend the night with God to pray until something happens! 

Let’s imagine this is not just an important decision for our lives, financial future, or children’s lives, but instead for the future of the whole world: A decision that could determine the future of every person on the face of the planet. Kings and presidents sometimes face these sorts of decisions. The decision to start a war or to press the nuclear button would be that sort of decision. But what if the decision was not only for the future of all the people in the world, but also for their eternal future? The decision we make not only affects people’s lives here and now, but also their eternal lives after they leave this earth. No human ruler has ever had to make that kind of a decision – Jesus did!

Jesus had come to earth on divine missions. He only had three years of ministry, and by Luke 6, almost half of that was gone. He knew that one of the things He must do was pass on the essential truths of why He came, to a few people who would in turn pass it on to others. He had gained hundreds of followers, but He knew that most of them had no clue about who He really was, or why He truly came. He had to select a few to teach and train so that they might continue to minister to others when He returned to heaven. The eternal weight of the world was on His shoulders, and He must choose a few good men to pass that heavy weight to their shoulders. And he had no Plan B!

In preparing Himself for this incredibly crucial decision, Jesus knew that the most important thing for Him was to be in communion with God, spending the night praying. He withdrew to the mountains to be alone with God and pray, as He faced this momentous decision. He didn't choose the twelve and then ask His heavenly Father to bless His choices. No, He spent all night in prayer before choosing them. However, Jesus was not only praying for the choice He must make the next day, but also for the healing (vv. 17-19) and teaching (Luke 6:20-49) He would perform. He always made prayer His Number One priority, because without prayer, His ministry would have no power.

When faced with decisions, whether they appear critical or not, we must follow the example of our Lord! We must ask our loving Father to stir our hearts with a deeper yearning for prayer. We can be guided every day through the blessed discipline of daily fervent prayer. When we face very hard decisions, the Holy Spirit will stir our spirits to come into God’s Presence and find guidance and peace in Him.