The Selection Process

Luke 6:12

 

12Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

 

The gospel of Luke records Jesus being in prayer before the apostles were selected. Jesus said repeatedly during His earthly ministry that He only did, "the will of the Father." The way to know the will of God is both in scripture and in prayer as Jesus demonstrated. Selecting the apostles was a serious decision. These were the ones to be closest to Him for the purposes of teaching and preparing for spreading the gospel. Even Jesus knew the importance of God's will in the selection process. After God selected Gideon to help restore God's people, God showed the same to Gideon regarding the battle to defeat the Midianites. In Judges 7 God told Gideon that he had too many men and gave him the criteria on which to select the men to accompany him. In Exodus 4 God told Moses that he would be the one used to help free God's people from bondage. And when Moses felt he could not complete the task, God appointed to him his brother Aaron to assist. In Genesis Chapter 2, after God created Adam and gave him the task of naming the animals and Adam realized he was alone, God created and appointed Eve, his wife, to be by his side to have dominion over the earth.

 

Do you see a common theme in all these examples? God selected someone for a task and then selected those who would assist. The selection process comes by prayer which is a direct conversation with God the Father. It is a two-way conversation. You ask God in prayer, then WAIT and LISTEN for His answer. Many times people talk to God but do not listen for His answer.  If you know God has given you an assignment, then you must also go to Him for direction on how to carry it out,  if He wants you to have a partner to carry out and whom to select. When God selects you, He equips you. You are not alone.