March 1, 2006

Praying in the Dark

“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. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles” (Luke 6:12-13, NKJV).

When Jesus faced this important decision He spent the night finding the will of His Father. I’ve never prayed all night for anything, partly because I’ve never had such monumental choices like selecting twelve apostles for earth-changing roles.

With no big decisions in my life right now, what is God saying to me today? The devotional book that sends me to this passage is Daily Thoughts for Disciples by Oswald Chambers. His comments on this passage concern how prayer develops the life of Christ in those who pray. It makes us more like Him.

I must admit some resistance to prayer. It is hard work! But I do want to be like Him. One of His main roles is intercessor; I can intercede for others. He is still selecting disciples; I can pray for that. He prays with persistence; I can be persistent.

Also, this passage shows that when daylight came, Jesus acted on the answers God gave Him in the night. Because Jesus lives in me, I can also pray during those dark times when I cannot see, when I don’t know what to do. I can seek His will and be certain that He will show me what He wants. Then, after He brings light to me, by His grace I can follow His leading and do His will.

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