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Today's Gospel: Luke 6: 12- 19

What do I do when I have a big decision to make?

I make lists of positives and negatives. I seek the counsel of wise friends. I read a lot of articles and do a lot of research. I go for long runs and ponder my options. I pray and ask God for wisdom.

I don’t always do these things in the same order. I don’t always remember to pray before I start the decision-making process either. Reading the Gospel makes me want to reconsider my approach.

In this passage, Jesus has a big decision to make...one of the most important decisions of his life. He needs to choose the men who will be his companions in ministry. Not only will these men serve alongside him, they will be the ones who carry his message and legacy forward. They will be his brothers. They will be with him constantly. Choosing the right people for this job is critically important.

To prepare, the Gospel tells us, Jesus goes away by himself to the mountain to pray. There, he spends the whole night in prayer to God. Jesus, God’s son, the Word made Flesh, the man who was fully human and yet fully God, spends a whole night in prayer before making this decision.

Perhaps Jesus also made lists of pros and cons. The Gospel writer does not tell us. What we are told is that Jesus prayed.

I think the next time I have a big decision to make, I’ll choose to start with prayer, too.

Ponder:

How can we incorporate prayer into our life decisions, big and small?

Pray:

God, when I have decisions to make, please help me to seek you first in prayer.

Copyright 2014 Abbey Dupuy