Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. Luke 6:12 (VRSVUE)
Read Luke 6:12-16
I don’t know; I’ve always made lists, but for my adult life, I’ve written “to-do” lists, grocery lists, and, as a project manager, sometimes boringly detailed lists. If you've attended meetings with me or received an email about meetings, you’ve witnessed this. I’m not alone in this. In making our lists, we provide order and structure to our thoughts. Seeing it written on paper, it becomes real, creating a sense of responsibility. It helps bring clarity and organization to our thoughts.
What we put on those lists is essential and frequently has a sequence of events. For example, if we run errands with several stops, including at the grocery store, Getting groceries is probably the last thing on the list because we don’t want our ice cream to run out the bottom of the box in the 90-degree heat.
Jesus was a list guy. He may not have put pen to paper–or metal stylus to broken pottery, as the case may be–but he did have an order. I don’t know how long his list was, but it had at least two items.
Pray for guidance.
Follow guidance.
In today’s passage, he chose the apostles after praying for the night—those except Judas Iscariot, who would continue Jesus’ ministry. Why did the Father tell the Son to appoint Judas? I’ve struggled with this and have no definitive answer, but it’s on my list of questions to ask God.
The message is that when we make our lists, let the first thing be prayer and the last thing be following his guidance. We pray for God’s direction in what we face, even something as mundane as our errand list. We pray that we are given, and we seize the opportunity to be witnesses of our faith, given glory to God or Father.
Heavenly Father,
As we reflect on Jesus's example of spending nights in prayer seeking Your guidance, we recognize the importance of seeking Your will in all aspects of our lives. We come before You with our lists—whether they’re tasks, goals, or questions—and we lay them at Your feet.
Grant us wisdom as we prioritize our days. May our first item always be prayer, inviting Your presence, and seeking Your direction. As we move through our lists, help us follow Your guidance faithfully.
Lord, we acknowledge that some answers may remain a mystery, like why Judas was chosen, may remain a mystery. Yet, we trust that Your ways are higher than ours, and Your plans are perfect.
May our lists be more than mere tasks; may they become opportunities to glorify You. May we be witnesses of our faith, showing love, compassion, and grace to those around us.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
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