“One day soon afterward Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles.”—Luke 6:12–13 NLT

Jesus had an important decision to make: Who would be His apostles? He knew the candidates and had spent time with them. We might assume He had enough information to make His choices. But Jesus did not decide until He had prayed. He did not just pray a short prayer. He spent all night praying to God! And He prayed until He had the answer He needed. How many Christians make this kind of commitment to prayer? We may pray when we have decisions to make, but how intense is that prayer? How much do we pray? A few minutes? A few seconds? Right now, search your heart and think about the issues that you face. Are you basing your decision on your own experience and understanding, or the opinions of people around you? Have you truly sought God about these matters? He is ready to give you His wisdom and guide you to make the right choices. Call on Him and seek Him through dedicated prayer. The Bible reminds us to trust in the Lord and not depend on our own understanding. As we seek His will in all we do, we are to be confident that He will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5–6). Seek God’s will and wisdom. Commit time to prayer. Seek God until you have the answers you need, however long it takes. He is ready to help you and give you His wisdom.

Reflection Question: Do you need to allocate more time for prayer?

“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”—Hebrews 13:15 KJV

John Wilbur Chapman spent much of his life as a pastor and evangelist, but he also wrote many hymns. One of his most inspired moments occurred when he described the praise in his heart because of what Jesus had done. He recalled how Heaven was filled with His praises and when “sin was as black as could be.” In that dark time, Jesus “came forth to be born of a virgin.” He dwelled among people and became our example. Chapman expressed the many ways Jesus changed his life: “Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me; buried He carried my sins far away; rising, He justified freely forever; one day He’s coming—Oh, glorious day!” Chapman recalled how Jesus was led up Calvary and nailed on the tree. Jesus bore our sins and became our Redeemer. “The grave could conceal Him no longer.” He arose, conquered death, and “now is ascended, my Lord evermore!” But Chapman knew that Jesus was coming again. “One day the trumpet will sound for His coming.” It will be a day when the skies shine with His glories. This will be a wonderful day. This same Jesus is yours. He died for your sins. He rose again, so you can have eternal life. And He’s coming again for you! Praise Him. Worship Him with your time, talents, and treasures. Commit your life to this wonderful Savior. He is worthy of all praise!

Reflection Question: Describe how you feel about one day being in Heaven with Jesus.