BLESS | Begin with Prayer

Before choosing His disciples or launching His public ministry, Jesus began with prayer. If we want to join Him in His mission, we must first tune our hearts to His. This week, we explore how prayer shapes our awareness of others, opens our eyes to opportunity, and anchors our mission in the peace of Christ. Prayer is not passive—it’s the first step in loving our neighbors well. 

Luke 6:12–16 (ESV)

In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Philippians 4:4–7 (ESV)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.