Intro: How do you view prayer? How does grace merge with prayer? Over the past few months, God has been convicting me about prayer, as well as urging me to pray about every aspect of each day. As I go through my day, I am to set myself up to receive his grace [power for living] in an ongoing fashion [cascading—like water pouring downward rapidly in large quantities]. “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Cor 9:8).
I do not typically pray for myself in specifics; I simply give myself into the care of God in the morning and thank him in the evening when I lay my head back down to rest. However, God is leading me to be very specific now with my prayers as I seek to be a resource of blessing to others. Because life seems to be getting increasingly more challenging to our Christian witness, I am to ask him specifically for the grace I need to minister to each need or task moment by moment and without fear.
In our passage today, Jesus goes to the mountain to pray all night, because he must select twelve of his followers who will go forward as his emissaries [representatives or agents of Christ’s mission]. As well, the Father is preparing Jesus, so he prays for the wisdom to know who to choose, as well as prays for the grace [power] to bring the truth and healing to those who would be seeking him the next day.
Over the past few months in our Chosen Bible Study time, we have met many of these disciples who were chosen to serve as Christ’s representatives. The series reveals the disciples as unique in their backgrounds and personalities, as well as unique in their gifts. Scripture leads us to know this is the truth. Each one is essential, even Judas; the other eleven will fulfill the will of the Father by carrying on the mission of Christ after he ascends back to the Father.
My friends, we are those emissaries who must endure and travail for the truth in our generation. So, I pass onto you my lessons; to speak into your lives and encourage you to pray each day for the grace you need to be a blessing in Christ to others. Grace [the ongoing benevolent act and power of God] is essential and Jesus told us so, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9).
Luke 6:12-19 VOICE
12 Around this time, Jesus went outside the city to a nearby mountain, along with a large crowd of His disciples. He prayed through the night to God. 13 The next morning, He chose 12 of them and gave each a new title of “emissary.”
14 They included Simon (Jesus called him Peter) and Andrew (Simon’s brother); James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; 15 Matthew and Thomas; James (son of Alphaeus) and Simon (known as the Zealot); 16 Judas (son of James) and the other Judas (Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus).
17 The whole crowd of disciples (including the 12 now designated as His emissaries) came down together, and they stood on a level area nearby. They were joined by an even greater crowd of people who had come from across the whole region—from all of Judea, from Jerusalem, from the coastal areas of Tyre and Sidon. 18 These people came to hear Jesus teach and to be healed by Jesus of their diseases. Those who were troubled by demonic spirits were liberated.
19 Everyone wanted to touch Jesus because when they did, power emanated from Him and they were healed.
Prayer: Lord, I pray for the grace each of us, as your children, need to operate in your character and mission today. For each task or encounter we face, I pray for us to invite you and your grace into it and to serve you in that place. In Jesus’ name. Amen.