Prepare for Easter

Monday, March 16, 2020

About My Father’s Business:

A Lenten Devotional Guide

And it was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. And when day came, He called his disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles. 

Luke 6:12-13 NASB

Sometimes I must sound like a broken record, always playing the same tune. Maybe that is because I need to hear the tune more than anyone else! Whatever the reason, the tune God plays over and over is this: “When will you learn the importance of fervent prayer?”

Jesus was about to make decisions that would impact the entire world for eternity. He had to chose twelve men to whom he could entrust the good news of God’s salvation and of Kingdom living on this earth. Disciples were following him daily, learning the principles of God’s Kingdom. I imagine hundreds of them, intrigued by every word and every deed. The ministry was dynamic, and excitement must have grown as miraculous things happened. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of such a ministry?

But he could not train them all, not in the intimate way that he knew he had to work. His classroom was not a lecture hall for hundreds but the open spaces and small group wandering from spot to spot and learning from hands-on experience. He had to select twelve. No time for eenie, meenie, miney mo!

All night long he and his Father talked; which men would be faithful, which would not give up, which would go to their deaths to fulfill their mission? Jesus would not make such an important decision without careful conversation with his Father. After a whole night of prayer, the Scripture says matter of factly, “he chose 12.”

How unlike him we are. We never spend a whole night in prayer seeking God’s guidance, even about matters of his church.

Father, teach us the importance of prayer! Teach us that you are the head of your business, and that we must seek guidance from you always. Amen

About My Father’s Business:

A Lenten Devotional Guide

prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida

Spring 2010

by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator