Before Jesus chose the 12 disciples, he went to a secluded place to pray all night. The God-of-the-universe-made-flesh, prayed to the Father when he needed guidance. As followers of Christ, we follow Jesus’ pattern of living, but what does seeking God in the place of prayer look like?
Read About Jesus’ Night of Prayer
12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
What did you notice as you read this passage?
Meditate on this for a moment.
You can also listen to this passage on the Well Soul Devotional Podcast
How do we exactly seek God’s guidance in the place of prayer? Here are some suggestions.
5 Steps to Seeking God’s Guidance in Prayer
Start with Worship.
Focus on who God is and praise him. This aligns our hearts in the right posture to receive his guidance.
Submit and Surrender.
Oftentimes we want God’s guidance, but we want his direction to be our preference and it can cloud our discernment. Taking some time to fully surrender our will to his will aligns our hearts to better discern his direction.
Lay out your decision.
Talk to the Father like a friend. Layout all the details of your decision in prayer. Write down thoughts that come to mind. What are all the details that need considered? What are your hopes? Concerns? Fears? Lay. It. All. Out.
Search the Scriptures.
A simple way to make decisions sometimes is to ask: What’s the problem? What does God’s Word say? So, what’s the solution?
Ask for Confirmation.
Once you think you MAY have guidance in the decision, write it down, along with thoughts and Scriptures. Then, ask the Lord for confirmation. Maybe it will come through a godly trusted friend or mentor, through a sermon you hear, or through circumstances aligning in a way totally led by God. Keep your eyes open to see how God will help you move forward in confidence to his leading.
How do you seek God’s Guidance in the place of prayer?
Please share in the comments.
