“I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. “ John 17:6
When Jesus was searching for disciples He said, “Come, follow me and I will make you fish for people.” Mark 1:17
The words “follow me” meant more than simply follow me wherever I go but rather follow My life example. Luke reveals the Lord Jesus often went off somewhere alone to pray. “During those days He went out to the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer to God. When daylight came, He summoned His disciples, and He chose twelve of them, whom He also named apostles.” Luke 6:12-13
What if we took this clue from our Lord and applied it to life? Jesus seems to have spent the night in prayer to the Father over which of His disciples He should call as apostles. We know we are called to be witnesses for Christ, ambassadors with the ministry of reconciliation. Sometimes we are motivated by a sermon, a devotion, or guilt and we try to reach out to someone. Usually with little result. Could it be we have left out a key element? Prayer?
If Our Lord Jesus, the Son of God, spent the whole night in prayer seeking the Father’s lead on which disciple to call, shouldn’t we be devoting much prayer seeking whom we should witness? Taking a clue from the verses above; “I have revealed your name to the people you gave me.”
We all have a sphere of influence unique to our situation. Our neighborhood, workplace, classmates, family, acquaintances, etc. provide us with endless opportunities to witness. What if, instead of arbitrarily reaching out to someone of our own choosing, we spent time seeking the Lord’s will as to whom we should speak?
The Lord knows the hearts of all. He will not lead us to one to whom He is not already preparing for His will and way. This hint of truth is in Jesus own words; “They were yours, you gave them to Me.”
With all the people you have had contact with, which of these have you been praying? Who has the Lord placed as a burden on your heart? Whose name keeps coming up in your spirit? This is the one whom you need to share the word of truth!
With a motivation to be the ambassadors we are called to be and taking the example of our Lord to pray fervently for the Father’s will, we are much likely to be able to testify; “I have revealed your name, … and they have kept your word.”
Blessed by you…. Bro. Sherman
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