This article is part of a series, Pray like Jesus, on ways Jesus teaches us how to pray to our heavenly Father. Keep an eye out for related articles.
After John the Baptist baptized Jesus (Matt. 3:16–17; Luke 3:21–22), the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the Judean wilderness to fast and pray before He embarked on His public ministry.
Jesus’ preparation through prayer and fasting
For 40 days and nights (Matt. 4:1–2; Luke 4:1–2), Jesus prayerfully prepared His heart and mind to leave private life and enter into His proposed ministry.
In the frightening Judean wilderness, He risked dehydration and starvation. He had no shelter, which exposed Him to blazing heat by day, freezing temperatures at night and poisonous snakes, scorpions and other deadly desert wildlife.
Jesus resists Satan’s temptations
He also drew Satan’s undivided attention, who tempted Him to deny and betray God. Aware of Jesus’ extreme hunger and physical weakness, Satan offered Him food and unlimited power.
Jesus resisted each satanic lure, quoting Scripture from Deuteronomy to repel Satan’s temptations:
“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:3–4; Deut. 8:3).
“Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (Matt. 4:7; Deut. 6:16).
“Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only” (Matt. 4:10; Deut. 6:13).
Jesus’ rugged determination to obey God’s will — and 40 days of devoted fasting and prayer — gave Him the courage and strength to survive the wilderness and Satan’s temptations.
Jesus emerged from the wilderness ready and Spirit-empowered to launch His ministry.
Jesus prays before choosing His disciples
Before Jesus chose His 12 disciples, He spent the entire night praying to God on a mountainside (Luke 6:12–13). He sought God’s counsel and guidance through prayer.
When morning came, He called Peter and Andrew as they fished on the Sea of Galilee (Matt. 4:18–20); James and John who were mending fishing nets (vv. 21–22); Philip from Bethsaida (John 1:43–45); Nathanael, sitting under a fig tree (vv. 45–51); Matthew in a tax collector’s booth (Matt. 9:9); and Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon, Thaddaeus and Judas (Luke 6:14–16; Mark 3:16–19) as they engaged in daily life.
The importance of choosing the right leaders
Jesus knew the importance of choosing the right men to be with Him (Mark 3:14), to preach and perform miracles (vv. 14–15), to do extraordinary things through God’s power, to lay the Church’s foundation (Eph. 2:20) and to train others to spread the gospel to the world (Matt. 28:18–20).
Jesus chose these disciples after seeking God’s guidance in a full night of intense prayer.
Paul and Barnabas also fasted and prayed before they began their God-called ministry (Acts 13:2–3).
Suggestions
When you pray personally:
Spend time in prayer, and make no major decisions until God speaks to your heart. Our human insight is limited. Decisions that change our lives and the lives of those we love must come from divine knowledge. God knows our past and our future.
The writer of Proverbs encourages us: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3:5–6).
Making good decisions comes through wisdom — the wisdom God gives. James writes, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).
Life-changing decisions can be complex and include many voices and opinions. Paul understands the need for prayer and the Holy Spirit’s guidance. He writes, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Eph. 6:18).
When we ask God to enter into our decision-making, He will lead us to the right path — a decision that brings peace to the Christian — the “peace of God, which transcends all understanding” and “will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7).
As Richard Foster says in “Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home,” “Prayer is the central avenue God uses to move and bless His people.”
When the Church prays:
Before making major ministry decisions, church leaders must seek God’s guidance through prayer. Scripture gives the Church a model in Acts 1:24. Before the early church replaced Judas, they didn’t vote or figure out strategies. Instead, they prayed earnestly, placing the decision in God’s hands.
Church leaders should invite the congregation to pray with them before making key decisions such as selecting pastors, deacons and ministry leaders (Acts 1:24; 1 Tim. 3:1–13); launching new ministry programs or expanding ministries; selecting and sending missionaries to fields home and abroad (Acts 13:2–3); making financial decisions or beginning building projects (Prov. 3:9) and responding to church crises or internal church conflict (Phil. 4:6–7).
Follow Jesus’ example
By His own example, Jesus shows us the absolute necessity and importance of praying to our heavenly Father before making major life changes. Trust God for guidance and direction in all of life’s major and daily decisions.
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