Our Life Purpose :Learning to be Jesus Missionaries

Life Purpose – Prayer and Mission

Luke 6:12-13  One day soon afterward Jesus went up on 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.

Before Jesus chose the 12 he spent the night in prayer. He called his disciples to himself by name and chose them and called them apostles. The word disciple means learner and implies following, the word apostle has to do with being sent as a messenger, the word missionary is an equivalent. Jesus after a night with the Father called the 12 to be with him, to learn from him, to follow him and be missionaries for him. In Mark we read that his disciples are specifically sent out to preach and drive out demons at this stage. In other words, to speak the ‘Good News’ about Jesus and also to expel evil with Jesus authority. We are all called to be both ‘disciples’ and ‘apostles’ throughout our lives. This means we are life-long learners not in the sense of academic study but in the sense of constantly growing in our relationship with God and discovering how to be more faithful and obedient. We are called to be with Jesus constantly and are sent to others by him, to be his representative in word and deed. Jesus has prayed for us, chosen us by name, and called us to be learners and missionaries. He promises to be with us, to teach us and show us how to live. Let us follow his example and prayerfully seek those who need help to encounter Jesus and encouragement on their journey with Him.

Father thanks Jesus, help me to follow your example.