Jesus was in prayer all night

JESUS WAS IN PRAYER ALL NIGHT
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
New InternationalVersion
LUKE 6:12 One of thosedays Jesus went out to a
mountainsideto pray, and spent the night praying to
God.
New Living Translation
One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain
to pray, and he prayed to God all night.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
The Choosing Of The Twelve
Mark 3:13-19. Parallelpassages:Matthew 10:2-4; Luke 6:12-19
J.J. Given
I. THE CHOICE AND ITS OBJECT.The Saviour ascends the mountain that
was near at hand, probably Karun Hattin, "and calls to him whom he
wished." At once they went off away (ἀπό), leaving other things, and turning
to him as their sole object. Of these he appointed, or ordained - though the
original word is more simple, viz. "he made " - twelve for a threefold purpose:
(1) to "be with him," to keephim company, assisting him and sympathizing
with him;
(2) to be his messengers to men, heralding the goodnews of salvation;and

(3) to alleviate miraculously human misery - curing diseasesand expelling
demons.
II. THE LIST OF NAMES. The order and meaning of the names require only
a few remarks. The twelve are distributed into three classes. Simon, the
Hearer, whom our Lord surnamed the Rock-man, heads the first class;next
to him were James, the sonof Zebedee, and John his brother, both of whom
were surnamed Boanerges,"Sons ofThunder," that is, bene (oa equivalent to
e) regesh;and Andrew. The secondclass is headed by Philip; then comes
Bartholomew, which means the sonof Tolmai, the word being a patronymic -
in all probability the person meant was Nathanael, the proper name of the
same;also Matthew and Thomas. The third class begins with James the son of
Alphaeus; then Judas, surnamed Thaddseus, or Lebbseus, the Courageous;
and Simon the Kananite, that is, the Zealot, not a Canaanite;while Judas
Iscariot, that is, the man of Kerioth, the traitor, is the last in every list. - J.J.G.
Biblical Illustrator
And continued all night in prayer to God.
Luke 6:12
Specialprotractedprayer
C. H. Spurgeon.Ifany man of woman born might bare lived without prayer it
was surely the Lord Jesus. In some parts of prayer He could take no share,
e.g., confessionofsin. Then again, He had no need for self-examinationeach
night, and no need to pray to be protected from sin eachmorning. Yet never
was there a man more abundant in prayer.
1. Notice the place which Christ selectedforprayer. The solitude of a
mountain. Why?
(1)To prevent interruption.
(2)That He might be able to pray aloud.
(3)To avoid ostentation.

2. The time selected. The silent hours of night. To some of us, the night might
be most inappropriate and unsuitable; if so, we must by no means selectit, but
must follow our Lord in the spirit rather than in the letter.
3. Again, our Lord sets us a goodexample in the matter of extraordinary
seasonsofdevotion in the protracted characterofHis prayer. He continued all
night in prayer. I do not think that we are bound to pray long as a general
rule. Force is its standard rather than length. When the whole soul groans
itself out in half a dozen sentences there may be more real devotion in them
than in hours of mere wire drawing and word spinning. True prayer is the
soul's mounting up to God, and if it can ride upon a cherub or the wings of the
wind so much the better, yet in extraordinary seasons, whenthe soul is
thoroughly wrought up to an eminent intensity of devotion, it is well to
continue it for a protractedseason. We know not that our Lord was vocally
praying all the time, He may have paused to contemplate;He may have
surveyed the whole compass of the field over which His prayer should extend,
meditating upon the characterofHis God recapitulating the precious
promises, remembering the wants of His people, and thus arming Himself
with arguments with which to return to wrestle and prevail. How very few of
us have ever spent a whole night in prayer, and yet what boons we might have
had for such asking!
4. Jesus has further instructed us in the art of specialdevotion by the manner
of His prayer. Notice, he continued all night in prayer to God — to God. How
much of our prayer is not prayer to God at all! That gunner will do no service
to the army who takes no aim, but is contentso long as he does but fire; that
vesselmakes anunremunerative voyage which is not steeredfor a port, but is
satisfiedto sail hither and thither. We must direct our prayers to God, and
maintain soul-fellowshipwith Him, or our devotion will become a nullity, a
name for a thing which is not.
5. Once more, we may learn from Jesus our Lord the occasionforspecial
devotion. At the time when our Mastercontinued all night in prayer He had
been upbraided by the Pharisees. He fulfilled the resolve of the man after
God's own heart. "Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with
me without a cause:but I will meditate in Thy precepts." So David did, and so
did David's Lord. The best answerto the slanders of the ungodly is to be more
constantin communion with God:
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Christ an example to us in the choice of seasons forpray
Charles Bradley, M. A.er: —

I. OUR LORD WAS WONT TO PRAY WHEN ENGAGED, OR ABOUT TO
ENGAGE IN ANY RELIGIOUS ORDINANCE (Luke 3:21). The ordinances
of grace must be sanctifiedto us by prayer, or we shall derive no benefit from
them.
II. OUR LORD PRAYED WHEN ABOUT TO ENGAGE IN MORE THAN
USUALLY IMPORTANT AND SERIOUS BUSINESS. AS here before the
ordination of the apostles.
III. ANOTHER SEASON FOR PRAYER IS A SEASON OF EXCEEDING
ENJOYMENTOR HONOUR (Luke 9:28, 29). Strange as it may sound, yet, it
is true, that they who receive most of the Lord's grace and goodness standthe
most m need of the Lord's grace and goodness;they need grace to use
abundant grace and goodness well. Pride of heart is often called into exercise
by it; or, if not pride of heart, an undue love of that mercy — giving up the
sou! to the enjoyment of it.
IV. ANOTHER SEASON FOR SPECIALPRAYER IS WHEN WE SEE OUR
FRIENDS IN PECULIAR DANGER OR SORROW (Luke 22:32;John 17:1.).
How can there be Christian love if the sorrows and wants of those we love do
not excite prayer in us?
V. ONE SEASON MORE I MENTION AS PECULIARLY A SEASON OF
SUPPLICATION — WHEN TROUBLE IS ON US OR EXPECTED TO
COME (Luke 22:44). Severe affliction is the season, ofall others, for prayer.
(Charles Bradley, M. A.)
Private devotion
James Foote, M. A.Some, from the nature of their employments, or from
mental constitution, or habit, do not find that they can often continue, or
profitably continue, long at devotion at once;such may supply this, in a good
measure, by frequency. Mostclearly, however, sufficient time ought to be
takento getthe mind fully engaged. WhenChrist, after labouring the whole
day that was past, and having also to labour as soonas day dawned again,
spent the whole night in prayer, it is a shame for any of His professing
followers, howeverbusy a life they may load, not to make a point of reserving
from the cares ofthe day, or it may be, from the slumbers of the night, as
much time as is necessaryfor morning and evening devotions. Mark,
Christians, how the airy trifler gives the night-watch to devour the foolish
romance;and how the pale student toils over the midnight lamp; and how, for
the sake ofthis world's gain, some rise early and sit up late, and even work
whole nights; and how the votaries of dissipating pleasure often spend the
whole, or almost the whole, night in its pursuits; and then, though you will by

no means think yourselves calledon literally to spend whole nights in prayer,
yet you will be ashamed and confounded when you think that a moderate
tarrying before the throne of grace should ever have been unnecessarily
neglectedby you, or felt as a burden; and you will desire to give more of your
time and of your heart to seasons ofcommunion with your God.
(James Foote, M. A.)
Jesus praying all night
NationalBaptistOn more than one occasionin the life of our Lord, it is
recordedthat He continued all night in prayer to God. What need was there
that He should sacrifice restand sleep in this way? He knew that His Father
always heard His prayer. He gave us as the model for our prayer a form
which can easilybe repeatedin half a minute. Was His Fatherunwilling to
hear Him? Or was it because He could not bring His mind to the proper
prayer-point, and so had to pray for hours, in order to learn how to pray for
one moment with realfaith? It could not be for either of these reasons. We
may suppose then that our Saviour spent that long time in prayer as a
delightful employment to Himself. He loved to commune with our Godand
His God. To Him it was better than meat to do the will of Him that sent Him.
So, doubtless, it was more soothing and refreshing than sleepfor Him to talk
to His Father. Jesus praying and the Fatherlistening; that was a harmony
more entrancing than the songs of angels. But no; it was not for enjoyment
alone that Jesus prayed all night. His prayers were poured into the deep heart
of God as easily as the waterpours over the rock into the chasmbelow. His
heart unfolded to His Father as gently as a floweris kissedopenby the breeze
of a summer-dawn. But Christ had a definite purpose in the night-long
prayer.
(NationalBaptist)
A night of prayer
D. MacEwen, D. D.I. THE TEXT SHOULD CONVINCE US OF THE
EFFICACYOF PRAYER.
II. THE TEXT SHOULD IMPRESS US WITH THE NECESSITYFOR
PRAYER.
III. THE TEXT SHOULD INSTRUCT US AS TO THE MANNER OF
PRAYER.
1. Christians should have their seasonsofsecretprayer and of retirement
from the world.

2. Christians should have specialseasons setapartfor prayer in view of
specialwork.
(D. MacEwen, D. D.)
Prayer a preliminary to important steps in life
B. Wilkinson, F. G. S.We should give ourselves to specialprayer when we are
about to make any important changes in life:
1. Leaving home.
2. Entering on a business or profession.(1)Thatthe temptations which cluster
about our secularcallings may not defile and degrade us.(2) That our secular
blessings may be made in the highestsense a blessing to us.
3. Marriage.
(B. Wilkinson, F. G. S.)
A night of solitaryprayer
W. H. Jellie., J. Parker, D. D., Hartley Coleridge.I. THE NIGHT OF
NEEDFULREST SHORTENED FOR PRAYER.
II. THE SOLITUDE SOUGHT FOR SPIRITUAL PREPARATION. The
crisis at which our Lord had arrived —
1. Originatedthe Christian ministry.
2. Beganthe Christian Church.
3. Involved the selectionof His own betrayer.
4. Was a preparation for the full exposition of His doctrines. Sermon on the
plain.
III. THE CONDUCT OF OUR GRACIOUS LORD COUNSELS US TO.
1. Lonely prayer.
2. Preparatoryprayer.
3. Self-denying prayer.
4. Leisurely prayer — "All the night."
5. Lingering prayer — "He continued."
6. Blissful prayer — All night with God.
(W. H. Jellie.)Here is the greatsecretof much that we see in the active life of
Jesus.
1. Secretprayer.

2. Long prayer. Prayer calms and strengthens the soul. After prayer a man
descends upon his work rather than rises strainingly towards it.
(J. Parker, D. D.)
JESUS PRAYING.
He sought the mountain and the loneliestheight,
For He would meet His Father all alone,
And there, with many a tsar and many a groan,
He strove in prayer throughout the long, long night.
Why need He pray, who held by filial right,
O'er all the world alike of thought and sense,
The fulness of His Sire's omnipotence?
Why crave in prayer what was His own by might?
Vain is the question — Christ was man in need,
And being man, His duty was to pray.
The Son of God confess'dthe human need,
And doubtless ask'd a blessing every day,
Nor ceases yetfor sinful man to plead,
Nor will, till heavenand earth shall pass away.
(Hartley Coleridge.)
All night in prayer
J. Vaughan, M. A.There are three classesofminds which are in danger of
making too long prayers.
1. One is the loose, unconcentrative, who cumber thoughts with many words,
and make vain, i.e., empty, repetitions of the same idea.
2. Another consists ofthose who, mistaking the nature of importunity, think
that the more they say, the more they shall get — not seeing that in so doing
they are virtually making their prayers a purchase-price, which they present
in payment of what they ask — and forgetting, or not considering, the true
characterof prayer — that it is only the opening channel in a man's mind,
through which God may pour out into that mind His preordained and ready
gifts.
3. And the third are they who, with a superstitious feeling, think that God will
be angry if their prayers do not go to a certain extent, and so, in their

intercourse with God, they stretch their prayers to a degree either inconsistent
with their other duties, or incompatible with their own health. They do not
know that oftentimes the very best prayer we ever pray, is not to pray, but to
castourselves simply on the love of God. The generalrule is, pray according
to the condition of your heart. Do not let the prayer strain the thoughts, but
let the thoughts determine and regulate the prayer. Pray as you feel drawn in
prayer — or, in other words, as the Spirit of God in you leads and dictates.
Nevertheless,the holler a man is, and the nearerheaven — the more, and the
more continuously that man will be able to commune with God.
(J. Vaughan, M. A.)
All night in prayerThe Rev. John Welch, of Ayr, was accustomedto retire
many nights to his church and spend the whole night in prayer — praying
with an audible and sometimes with a loud voice. His wife, fearing he would
catchcold, went one night to his closetwhere he had been long at prayer, and
heard him say, "Lord, wilt Thou not grant me Scotland? " and, after a pause,
"Enough, Lord, enough." Once he got such nearness to the Lord in prayer
that he exclaimed, "Hold Thy hand, Lord; remember Thy servant is a clay
vessel, and canhold no more."
COMMENTARIES
EXPOSITORY(ENGLISHBIBLE)
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(12)He went out into a mountain
to pray.—Better, into the mountain, or, the hill-country. The stress laid on the
prayers of Jesus is again characteristic ofSt. Luke.
Continued all night in prayer to God.—The original, at least, admits of
another rendering. The word translated “prayer” (proseuchè)had come to be
applied to the place dedicatedto prayer—the chapelor oratory by the river-
side, or on the mountain-side, where there was a running streamavailable for
ablutions, to which devout Jews could retire for their devotions. Such a
proseuchè there seems to have been at Philippi (Acts 16:13). Another is named
at Halicarnassus. Such, the language ofRoman poets (in quâ te quœro
proseuchâ, Juvenal, Sat. iii. 296)shows us, there were at Rome. The fact
mentioned by Josephus that there was one near Tiberias (Life, c. 54) shows
that they were not unknown in Galilee. The precise combination of words—

literally, in the prayer of God—is not found elsewhere forprayer as offered to
God.
BensonCommentaryHYPERLINK "/context/luke/6-12.htm"Luke 6:12-13.
And it came to pass in those days — Namely, of his teaching near the sea of
Galilee;that he went out into a mountain to pray — Jesus, seeing the general
notice which was takenof his appearance, andthe desire which multitudes
manifested of being further informed concerning the designof his coming,
and the nature of his doctrine, determined to choosea number of persons who
should assistand succeedhim in his ministerial work. And as the office which
he intended to assignthem was of greatimportance, even to the remotestages,
previous to his choice of them, he retired to a mountain in the neighbourhood,
and, notwithstanding all the labours of the preceding day, continued all night
in prayer to God; so much was his heart enlargedon this momentous
occasion. The originalphrase, εν τη προσευχη του θεου, is singular and
emphatical, being literally, in the prayer of God, implying an extraordinary
and sublime devotion. Or, if the word προσευχη be takenfor the proper name
of a place, the clause may be rendered, he continued all night in the oratory,
or prayer-place, of God; the Jews having many houses on mountains, and by
the sides of rivers, &c., setapart for prayer. These houses, it is well known,
were open at the top, and planted round with trees. This is the sense in which
Drusius, Prideaux, Whitby, Hammond, and many other goodcritics,
understand the expression. This interpretation does not alter the meaning of
the passage,for as Jesus wentup to the mountain to pray, we cannot avoid
supposing that he spent the greatestpartof the night in acts of devotion. And
when it was day he calledto him his disciples — Mark says, whom he would.
And of them he chose twelve, whomalso he named apostles — A name which
well expressedthe office for which they were designed. These he now fixed
upon, that for some time they might be always with him, in order that from
his ownmouth they might learn the doctrine which they were, in due time, to
preach through the world; “that they might see his glory, John 1:14, the
transcendentglory of the virtues which adorned his human life; and that they
might be witnessesofall the wonderful works which he should perform, and
by which his mission from God was to be clearlydemonstrated. The twelve
were thus to be qualified for supplying the people with that spiritual food
which their teachers neglectedto give them; and that both before and after
their Master’s death. Accordingly, when they had continued with Jesus as
long as was necessaryfor this end, he sent them out by two and two into
Judea, on the important work of preparing the people for his reception, who
was the true shepherd. Hence he named them apostles, thatis, persons sent

out. But the name was more peculiarly applicable to them, and their office
was raisedto its perfection, after Christ’s ascension, whenhe sentthem out
into all the world with the doctrine of the gospel, which he enabled them to
preach by inspiration, giving them power at the same time to confirm it by the
most astonishing miracles. That this was the nature of the new dignity which
Jesus now conferred on the twelve, is evident from John 20:21, where we find
him confirming them in the apostolicaloffice:as my Fatherhath sent me, so
send I you; I send you upon the same errand, and with the same authority: I
send you to revealthe will of God for the salvationof men. And I bestow on
you both the gift of tongues and the power of working miracles, that you may
be able to preach the doctrine of salvationin every country, and to confirm it
as divine, in oppositionto all gainsayers.” — Macknight. Of the probable
reasonwhy the number of twelve was fixed upon rather than any other, and
for a further elucidation of the passage, seethe notes on Mark 3:13-17;and
Matthew 10:1-4. After their election, the twelve accompaniedJesus
constantly, lived with him on one common stock as his family, and never
departed from him, unless by his express appointment.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary6:12-19 We oftenthink one half hour
a greatdeal to spend in meditation and secretprayer, but Christ was whole
nights engagedin these duties. In serving God, our greatcare should be not to
lose time, but to make the end of one goodduty the beginning of another. The
twelve apostles are here named; never were men so privileged, yet one of them
had a devil, and proved a traitor. Those who have not faithful preaching near
them, had better travel far than be without it. It is indeed worth while to go a
greatway to hear the word of Christ, and to go out of the way of other
business for it. They came to be cured by him, and he healedthem. There is a
fulness of grace in Christ, and healing virtue in him, ready to go out from him,
that is enough for all, enough for each. Menregard the diseases ofthe body as
greaterevils than those of their souls;but the Scripture teaches us differently.
Barnes'Notes on the BibleAnd it came to pass in those days - The designation
of the time here is very general. It means "about" the time when the events
occurredwhich had been just narrated.
He went out into a mountain - Jesus was accustomedto resortto such places
to hold communion with God, Mark 6:46. He did it because it was retired, free
from interruption, and fitted by impressiveness and grandeur to raise the
thoughts to the God that had formed the high hills and the deep-shaded
groves.
And continued all night in prayer to God - There has been a difference of
opinion about this passage, whetherit means that he spent the night in the act

of "praying" to God, or in a "place" ofprayer. The Jews had places of
prayer, called "oratories," built out of their cities or towns, where they could
retire from the bustle of a city and hold communion with God. They were
built on the banks of rivers (compare Acts 16:13), in groves, oron hills. They
were rude inclosures, made by building a rough wall of stone around a level
piece of ground, and capable of accommodating a small number who might
resortthither to pray. But the more probable opinion is that he spent the
whole night in supplication; for:
1. This is the obvious meaning of the passage.
2. The object for which he went out was "to pray."
3. It was an occasionofgreatimportance. He was about to send out his
apostles - to lay the foundation of his religion - and he therefore setapart this
time especiallyto seek the divine blessing.
4. It was no unusual thing for Jesus to spend much time in prayer, and we are
not to wonder that he passedan entire night in supplication. If it be askedwhy
Jesus should pray "atall" if he was divine, it may be replied that he was also a
"man" - a man subjectto the same sufferings as others, and, "as a man,"
needing the divine blessing. There was no more inconsistencyin his "praying"
than there was in his "eating." Bothwere "means" employedfor an end, and
both were equally consistentwith his being divine. But Jesus was also
"Mediator," and as such it was proper to seek the divine direction and
blessing. In "this" case he has set us an example that we should follow. In
greatemergencies,whenwe have important duties, or are about to encounter
specialdifficulties, we should seek the divine blessing and direction by
"prayer." We should set apart an unusual portion of time for supplication.
Nay, if we pass the "whole night" in prayer, it should not be chargedas
enthusiasm. Our Saviour did it. Men of the world often pass whole nights in
plans of gain or in dissipation, and shall it be esteemedstrange that Christians
should spend an equal portion of time in the far more important business of
religion?
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible CommentaryLu 6:12-49. The Twelve Apostles
Chosen—Gathering Multitudes—Glorious Healing.
12, 13. went out—probably from Capernaum.
all night in prayer … and when … day, he called, &c.—The work with which
the next day began shows whathad been the burden of this night's devotions.
As He directed His disciples to pray for "laborers" just before sending
themselves forth (see on [1581]Mt9:37;[1582]Mt10:1), so here we find the
Lord Himself in prolonged communion with His Fatherin preparation for the

solemn appointment of those men who were to give birth to His Church, and
from whom the world in all time was to take a new mould. How instructive is
this!
Matthew Poole's Commentary Those who straining this text would interpret
the words, en th proseuch, for, the place of prayer, will be concernedto find
us out that house of prayer which stood in this mountain, or to tell us where
we shall find in holy writ any place but the temple so called, and why it should
be said that
he went out into a mountain to pray, if it were not to signify unto us, that he
sought a privacy and retiredness, which he could not have had in the temple,
nor in any other common place for prayer. Those interpreters certainly judge
righter that say, that our Saviour, being about to send put his twelve apostles,
thought so greata work should not be done without solemn prayers; he
therefore seeketha place of privacy, and goeththither to spend some more
time than ordinary in the duty of prayer, and the evangelistsaiththat he
continued all night; so setting us an example what to do in greataffairs,
especiallysuchas are the sending out of persons to so greatan employment as
that of the ministry, and by his own example commending to us what Paul
afterwards commanded, Ephesians 6:18 Colossians4:2, Continue in prayer,
and watchin the same with thanksgiving.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd it came to pass in those days,.... When
Christ was teaching by the lake of Gennesaret, orin one or other of the cities
of Galilee near that place:
that he went out; of the synagogue andcity where he had been:
into a mountain to pray; for the sake ofsolitude, and which lay near the sea of
Tiberias;See Gill on Matthew 14:23.
and continued all night in prayer to God; or "with" God, as the Ethiopic
version renders it; or "in the prayer of God" as the phrase may be literally
rendered; not in a prayer of God's making; though the Jews (m) sometimes
speak of the prayer of God, and give us a form of it: but either this respects
the objectof his prayer; it was made to God, as our translation suggests;or
the nature, matter, and manner of it: it was a divine prayer, it regardeddivine
things, and was put up in a very fervent manner, and with greatvehemence;
so the coals oflove or jealousyare said to be "coals offire, which hath , the
flame of Jehovah";that is as we render it, "a most vehement flame", Sol 8:6
In like manner, "prayer of God" is a most vehement prayer; strong cries sent
up to God with greateagernessand importunity, fervency, and devotion; and

such was Christ's prayer, and in which he continued all night: unless by the
prayer of God should be meant, as is thought by many, an house of prayer to
God, in which Christ lodgedall night, and spent it in prayer to God in it.
Certain it is, the Jews had their "proseuchre", orprayer houses. Philo the Jew
(n) often speaks ofthem, and so does Josephus (o); and there seems to be
mention made of them in the Talmudic writings: when R. Jochananben
Zaccaicame to Vespasian, in his camp before Jerusalem, Vespasianasked
him, what he should give him? he replied (p),
"I desire nothing of thee but this "Jabneh", (a famous university,) that I may
teachin it the disciples, and fix in it "an oratory", or "prayer house", and do
in it, all the commandments said in the law.''
And in another place (q),
"R. Judah says, that Samuel said it is free for a man to make waterwithin
four cubits, , which I should choose to render, "of the proseucha", or"prayer
house":''
though the Gemarists afterwards, and so the gloss seemto explain it of the
time after prayer, in which a man should wait before he evacuates, evenas
long as he might go the length of four cubits. Juvenal (r) has reference to one
of these oratories, when he says, "in qua te qucero proseucha?"and in one of
these, it is very likely, Christ was in prayer all night long; for by the sea side,
and by the side of rivers, these oratories were usedto be; Acts 16:13.
(m) T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 7. 1. BereshitRabba, sect. 56, fol. 50. 2.((n) De Vita
Mosis, l. 3. p. 685. in Flaccum, p. 971, 972, 982.leg. ad Caium. p. 1011, 1012,
1013, 1014, 1016,1040, 1043. (o)In Vita. (p) Abot R. Nathan, c. 4. fol. 2. 4. (q)
T. Bab. Megilia, fol. 27. 2.((r) Satyr. 3. l. 295.
Geneva Study Bible{3} And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into
a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
(3) In using earnestand long prayer in choosing twelve of his own company to
the office of the apostleship, Christ shows how religiously we ought to behave
ourselves in the choice of ecclesiasticalpersons.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT CommentaryHYPERLINK "/context/luke/6-12.htm"Luke 6:12-
13. Comp. Mark 3:13-15.
τὸ ὄρος]as Matthew 5:1.
προσεύξασθαι κ.τ.λ.]comp. on Luke 5:16.

ἐν τῇ προσεὐχῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ] in prayer to God. Genitive of the object (see Winer,
p. 167 [E. T. 231 f.]).
τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ]in the wider sense. Comp. Luke 6:17.
καὶ ἐκλεξάμ, κ.τ.λ.]The connectionis: “And after He had chosenfor Himself
from them twelve … and (Luke 6:17) had come down with them, He took up
His position on a plain, and (scil. ἔστη, there stoodthere) a crowdof His
disciples, and a greatmultitude of people … who had come to hear Him and
to be healed;and they that were tormented were healedof unclean spirits:
and all the people sought,” etc. The discoveryof Schleiermacher, that
ἐκλεξάμ. denotes not the actual choice, but only a bringing them together, was
a mistakenidea which the word itself ought to have guarded against. Comp.
Acts 1:2.
οὓς καὶ ἀπ. ὠνόμ.]An actionconcurring towards the choice, and therefore,
according to Luke, contemporaneous (in opposition to Schleiermacher).
Comp. Mark 3:14, which is the source of this certainly anticipatory statement.
Luke 6:12-49. Luke inserts at this point the choice of the Twelve, and then a
shorter and less original(see also Weiss in the Jahrb. f. d. Th. 1864, p. 52 ff.)
edition of the Sermon on the Mount.[101]According to Matthew, the choice of
the Twelve had not yet occurredbefore the Sermon on the Mount;
nevertheless it is implied in Matthew, not, indeed, soonerthan at Luke 10:1,
but after the call of Matthew himself. Luke in substance follows Mark in what
concerns the choice ofthe apostles. Buthe here assigns to the Sermon on the
Mount—which Mark has not gotat all—a position different from that in
Matthew, following a tradition which attacheditself to the locality of the
choice of the apostles (τὸ ὄρος)as readily as to the descriptionand the
contents of the sermon. See, moreover, Commentary on Matthew. According
to Baur, indeed, Luke purposely took from the discourse its place of
distinction, and sought in the Pauline interest to weakenit as much as
possible.
[101]That Matthew and Luke gave two distinct discourses, deliveredin
immediate succession(which Augustine supposed), that were relatedto one
another as esoteric (givento the disciples exclusively) and exoteric (in the ears
of the people), is neither to be establishedexegetically, nor is it reconcilable
with the creative powerof discourse manifestedby Jesus atother times, in

accordancewith which He was certainly capable, atleast, of extracting from
the originaldiscourse what would be suitable for the people (in oppositionto
Lange, L. J. II. 2, p. 566 ff.). And how much does the discourse in Matthew
contain which there was no reasonfor Jesus keeping back from the people in
Luke’s supposedexoteric discourse!Comp. also Matthew 7:28, from which
passageit is clearthat Matthew neither regardedthe discourse as esoteric,nor
knew anything of two discourses.
Expositor's Greek TestamentHYPERLINK"/context/luke/6-12.htm"Luke
6:12-19. On the hill (Matthew 4:24-25;Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:7-19).
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges12-19. The Selectionofthe Twelve
Apostles.
12. in those days] weariedwith their incessantespionage andopposition.
Probably these two last incidents belong to a later period in the ministry,
following the Sermon on the Mount (as in St Matthew) and the bright
acceptable Galilaeanyearof our Lord’s work. In any case we have here, from
Luke 6:12—viii. 56, a splendid cycle of Messianic work in Galilee in the
gladdestepochof Christ’s ministry.
into a mountain] Rather, “into the mountain,” with specialreference to the
Kurn Hattin, or Horns of Hattin, the traditional and almostcertainly the
actualscene of the Sermon on the Mount.
in prayer to God] The expressionused is peculiar. It is literally “in the prayer
of God.” Hence some have supposedthat it should be rendered “in the
Prayer-House of God.” The word proseuche meant in Greek not only
‘prayer,’ but also ‘prayer-house,’ as in the question to a poor person in
Juvenal, “In what proseucha am I to look for you?” ■*-The proseuchae were
merely walledspaces without roof, set apart for purposes of worship where
there was no synagogue, as atPhilippi (Acts 16:13). There is howeverhere an
insuperable difficulty in thus understanding the words; for proseuchae were
generally, if not in-variably, in close vicinity to running water(Jos. Antt. xiv.
10, § 23), for purposes of ritual ablution, nor do we ever hear of their being
built ^ on hills. On the other hand, if τὸ ὄρος mean only ‘the mountainous
district,’ this objection is not fatal. For another instance of a night spent on a
mountain in prayer, see Matthew 14:23.
12-19. The Selectionofthe Twelve Apostles.

And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray,
and continued all night in prayer to to do good, or to do evil] He was intending
to work a miracle for good;they were secretlyplotting to do harm,—their
objectbeing, if possible, to put Him to death. They receivedthis question in
stolid silence. Mark 3:4.
to save life] Rather, a life.
Bengel's GnomenHYPERLINK"/luke/6-12.htm"Luke 6:12. Προσευχῇ,
prayer) It is even because ofthese His prayers that the Twelve disciples are
said to have been given to Jesus Christ: John 17:6 [comp. Luke 6:13 here in
Luke 6]. A greatbusiness was transactedon this night betweenGod and the
Mediator! [Even elsewhere alsoLuke frequently mentions the prayers of
Jesus:for instance, after His baptism, ch. Luke 3:21; before the questioning of
His disciples to test them, recorded ch. Luke 9:18; before the transfiguration,
ch. Luke 9:29; and when He taught His disciples to pray, ch. Luke 11:1.
Comp. Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; Matthew 14:23. No evangelisthoweverbut
John, excepting in the instance of the history of His passion, has detailed the
very words of Jesus whenpraying.—Harm., p. 239.]—τοῦΘεου, ofGod)
Comp. Mark 11:22, note.
Pulpit CommentaryVerses 12-19. - The choice of the twelve. Verse 12. And it
came to pass in those days. That is to say, in the course of his ministry in
Galilee, especiallyin the thickly populated district lying round the Lake of
Genessaret, andafter the events related in ch. 5. and the first eleven verses of
ch. 6, Jesus proceededto choose,out of the company of those who had
especiallyattachedthemselves to him, twelve who should henceforth be
always with him. These he purposed to train up as the authorized exponents
of his doctrine, and as the future leaders ofhis Church. Things had assumeda
new aspectduring the last few months. Jerusalemand the hierarchy,
supported by the greatteachers ofthat form of Judaism which for so long a
period had swayedthe hearts of the people, had, although not yet openly,
declaredagainstthe views and teaching of Jesus. His acts - but far more his
words - had gatheredround him, especiallyin Galilee, in the north and
central districts of Palestine, a large and rapidly increasing following. It was
necessarythat some steps should be taken at once to introduce among the
people who had receivedhis words gladly, some kind of organization;hence
the formal choice of the twelve, who from henceforthstoodnearestto him. We
possessthe following four lists of these twelve men: - Matthew 10:2-4....
Simon

Andrew
James
John
Philip
Bartholomew
Thomas
Matthew
James of Alphaeus
Lebbaeus
Simon the Kananite
Judas Iscariot
Mark 3:16-19....
Simon
James
John
Andrew
Philip
Bartholomew
Matthew
Thomas

James of Alphaeus
Thaddaeus
Simon the Kananite
Judas Iscariot
Luke 6:14-16....
Simon
Andrew
James
John
Philip
Bartholomew
Matthew
Thomas
James of Alphaeus
Simon Zelotes
Judas of James
Judas Iscariot
Acts 1:13....
Peter
James

John
Andrew
Philip
Thomas
Bartholomew
Matthew
James of Alphaeus
Simon Zelotes
Judas of James He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night
in prayer to God.
Vincent's Word StudiesA mountain (τὸ ὄρος)
ThE article denotes a familiar place. Rev., rightly, the mountain.
Continued all night (ἦν διανυκτερεύων)
Only here in New Testament. Used in medical language. The all-night prayer
is peculiar to Luke's narrative.
PRECEPT AUSTIN RESOURCES
Special Protracted Prayer
BY SPURGEON
“And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to
pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.”
Luke 6:12

IF any man of woman born might have lived without prayer it was surely the
Lord Jesus Christ. To us poor weak erring mortals, prayer is an absolute
necessity. But it does not at first sight seemto be so to Him who was “holy,
harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners.” In some parts of prayer our
Lord Jesus Christ could take no share. As for instance in that most important
department, namely, personalconfessionofsin, He could take no portion.
There were no slips in His outward life. There were no declensions in His
inward heart. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” is a very
suitable prayer for Him to teachus, but He could not use it Himself.
Nor had He any need to pray againstinward corruptions, seeing He was born
without them. We wrestle hard eachday with original sin, but Jesus knew no
such adversaries. It is as much as we can do, with all the weapons ofour holy
war, to keepdown the foes of our own household, but our Lord had no sinful
nature to subdue. The inner life is a daily struggle with some of us, so that
Paul’s exclamation, “O wretchedman that I am!” is exceedinglyfamiliar to
our lips. But our Lord saidtruly of Himself, “The prince of this world comes,
and has nothing in Me.” Moreover, ourLord had not to seek some ofthe
things which are exceedinglyneedful to His disciples. One desire which I trust
is ever present with us, is for growth in Divine Grace and for advancementin
the Divine life–but our Lord was always perfectin holiness and love. I see not
how there could have been any advancement in purity in Him–He was always
the spotless lily of innocence, incomparable, faultless, without spot or wrinkle
or any such thing.
Our Lord had no need to make self-examinationeachnight. When He retired
for prayer there would be no need to scanthe actions of the day or to detect
shortcomings and flaws. There would be no necessityto investigate secret
motives to see whether He might not have been actuatedby sinisterprinciples.
The deep wellsprings of His being were not of earth, but altogetherDivine.
When He bowedHis knee in the morning He had no need to pray to be
protectedfrom sin during the day. He went forth to His daily labor without
the infirmities which we bear within us, and was free from the tendencies to
evil which we bearabout us. Tempted He was in all points as we are, but the
arrows which wound us glancedharmlessly from Him.
Yet mark carefully, although our glorious Masterdid not require to pray in
some of those respects in which it is most needful to us, yet never was there a
man who was more abundant in prayer and in supplication, nor One in whom
prayer was exercisedwith so much vehemence and importunity! He was the
greatestofpreachers, but His prayers made even a deeperimpression on His
disciples than His sermons–forthey did not say, “Lord, teachus to preach,”

but they did exclaim, “Lord, teachus to pray.” They felt that He was Master
of that heavenly art, and at His feet they desiredto sit that they might learn
how to move Heaven and earth with sacredwrestling. Brethren, since our
sinless Lord was this mighty in prayer, does not His example sayto us, with a
voice irresistibly persuasive, “Watchand pray, lestyou enter into
temptation”?
You are to be conformed to the image of Christ–be conformedin this respect–
that you are men of prayer. You desire to know the secretofHis power with
men–seek to obtain His powerwith God. You wish to obtain the blessings
which were so copiouslybestowedupon Him–seek them where He sought
them–find them where He found them. If you would adorn His doctrine and
increase His kingdom, use the weaponof all-prayer which insures victory to
all who use it as the Captain did! Our Lord Jesus Christwas most constantin
His perpetual devotions. Devout men are used to setapart times for
extraordinary supplication. Yet a man who does not pray regularly, is but a
hypocrite when he pretends
Who would care to live in a miser’s house who starvedyou all the year round,
exceptthat now and then on a feastday he fed you daintily? We must not be
miserly in prayer, neglecting it regularly and only abounding in it on
particular occasionswhenostentation, rather than sincerity, may influence us.
But even he who keeps a bounteous table sometimes spreads a more luxurious
feastthan at other times–and even so must we, if we habitually live near to
God–selectourextraordinary seasonsin which the soul shall have her fill of
fellowship. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the text before us, has set us an example
of extraordinary devotion, supplying us with all the details and minutiae of
the exercise.
Notice the place which He selectedforit. He soughtthe solitude of a
mountain. He was so popular that He could not hope in any city or village to
be free from innumerable followers. He was so greata benefactorthat He
could never be without sick folk entreating healing at His hands. He knew no
leisure, no, not so much as to eatbread, and therefore, to obtain a little respite
He sought the hollow of some lofty hill where footof man could not profane
His loneliness. If you would draw near to God in an extraordinary manner,
you must take care to be entirely undisturbed. I know not how it is, but if ever
one desires to approachvery near to God there is sure to be a knock atthe
door, or some matter of urgent business, or some untoward circumstance to
tempt us from our knees.
Is it so, that Satanknows how soul-fattening retirement and devotion are, and
therefore, if he can by any method stir up friend or foe to callus out of our

closets he will surely do so? Here our Lord was beyond call–the mountain was
better than a closetwith bolted doors. Far off was the din of the city and the
noise of those who clamored with their merchandise. Neither the shout of
triumph nor the wail of sorrow could reach Him there. BelovedFriends,
carefully seek, if you can, a perfect solitude, but if not, reachas near to it as
you canand as much as possible keepout the sound and thought of the outer
world.
Did not our Lord resort to the mountain in order that He might be able to
pray aloud? I cannotspeak for others, but I often find it very helpful to myself
to be able to speak aloudin private prayer. I do not doubt but that very
spiritual minds canpray for a greatlength of time without the motion of the
lips, but I think the most of us would often find it a spur and assistance ifwe
could give utterance to our cries and sighs, no one being present to hear. We
know that our Lord was accustomedto use strong cries and tears, and these it
would not have been desirable for a human earto listen to. In fact, His natural
modesty would have put Him under a restraint. He therefore sought
mountains far away, that He might, in His Father’s Presence, andin the
presence ofno one else, pour out His entire soul–groaning, struggling,
wrestling, or rejoicing–as His spirit might be moved at the time.
Did He not also seek the mountain to avoid ostentation? If we pray to be seen
of men we shall have our reward, and a pitiful reward it will be–we shallhave
the admiration of shallow fools and nothing more. If our objectin prayer is to
obtain blessings from God we must present our prayers unspoiled by human
observation. Getalone with your God if you would move His arm. If you fast,
appear not unto men to fast. If you plead personally with God, tell none of it.
Take care that this is a secretbetweenGodand your own soul–thenshall your
Father rewardyou openly. But if you gad about like a Pharisee and sound
your trumpet in the cornerof the streets, you shall go where the Pharisee has
gone–wherehypocrites feelforever the wrath of God! Jesus, therefore, to
prevent interruption, to give Himself the opportunity of pouring out His
whole soul, and toavoidostentation, sought the mountain. What a grand
oratory for the Son of God! What walls would have been so suitable? What
room would have worthily housedso mighty an Intercessor?The Son of God
most fittingly entered God’s own glorious temple of Nature when He would
commune with Heaven. Those gianthills and the long shadows castby the
moonlight were alone worthy to be His companions. No pomp of gorgeous
ceremonycan possibly have equaled the glory of Nature’s midnight on the
wild mountain’s side where the stars, like the eyes of God, lookeddown upon
the Worshipper, and the winds seemedas though they would bear the burden

of His sighs and tears upon their willing wings. Samson, in the temple of the
Philistines, moving the giant pillars, is a mere dwarf comparedwith Jesus of
Nazarethmoving Heaven and earth, as He bows Himself alone in the great
temple of Jehovah!
For purposes of extraordinary devotion, the time selectedby our Masteris
also a lessonto us. He chose the silent hours of night. Now it may so happen
that if we literally imitated Him we might altogethermiss our way, for, no
doubt, He chose the night because it was mostconvenient, congenialand in
every way appropriate. To some of us the night might be most inappropriate
and unsuitable. If so, we must by no means selectit, but must follow our Lord
in the spirit rather than in the letter. We should give to heavenly things, that
part of the day in which we canbe most quiet–those hours which we canmost
fairly allot to it without despoiling our other duties of their proper proportion
of time.
By day our Saviorwas preaching–He could not ceasefrom preaching even to
spend the day in prayer. By day the multitude needed healing–ourLord
would not suspend His benevolent work for His private communions. We are
to take care never to present one duty to God stained with the blood of
another–but to balance and proportion our different forms of service so that
our life-work may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing. Usually, however,
night will be the favored seasonfor wrestling Jacobs. Whenevery man had
gone to his own home to rest, the Man of Nazareth had a right to seek His
solace where bestHe could, and if sleeprefreshedothers, and prayer more
fully refreshedHim, then by all means let Him pray. Against this not a dog
shall move his tongue.
Set apart, for remarkably protracted intercession, seasons whichanswerto
this description, when the time is your own–notyour master’s. Your own–not
your families. Notpilfered from family devotion. Notabstractedfrom the
public assembly or Sunday school. Setapart the time of quiet, when all
around you is in repose–the time congenialto solemnity, and the awe of a
spirit hushed into reverent subjection, yet uplifted to rapt devotion. Such
time, with many, may be the night. With others it may be the day. Let
sanctifiedcommon sense be your direction.
Again, our Lord sets us a goodexample in the matter of extraordinary seasons
of devotion in the protracted characterof His prayer. He continued all night
in prayer. I do not think that we are bound to pray long as a generalrule. I
am afraid, however, there is no greatneed to make the remark, for most of
Christians are short enough, if not far too short in private worship. By the aid
of the Holy Spirit it is possible to throw, by holy energy and sacredzeal, as

much prayer into a few minutes as into many hours, for prevalent prayer is
not measuredby God by the yard or by the hour. Force is its standard rather
than length.
When the whole soul groans itself out in half-a-dozen sentences there may be
more real devotion in them than in hours of mere wire drawing and word
spinning. True prayer is the soul’s mounting up to God, and if it can ride
upon a cherub or the wings of the wind, so much the better. But, in
extraordinary seasons, whenthe soul is thoroughly workedup to an eminent
intensity of devotion, it is well to continue it for a protracted season. We know
not that our Lord was vocally praying all the time, He may have pausedto
contemplate. He may have surveyed the whole compass of the field over which
His prayer should extend, meditating upon the CharacterofHis God,
recapitulating the precious promises, remembering the needs of His people,
and thus arming Himself with arguments with which to return to wrestle and
prevail.
How very few of us have ever spent a whole night in prayer, and yet what gifts
we might have had for such asking!We little know what a night of prayer
would do for us–its effectwe can scarcelycalculate.One night alone in prayer
might make us new men–changedfrom poverty of soulto spiritual wealth–
from trembling to triumph! We have an example of it in the life of Jacob.
Previously the crafty shuffler–always bargaining and calculating, unlovely in
almost every respect–yetone night in prayer turned the supplanter into a
prevailing prince and robed him with celestialgrandeur! From that night he
lives on the sacredpage as one of the nobility of Heaven. Could not we, at least
now and then, in these wearyearthbound years, hedge about a single night for
such enriching traffic with the skies?
What? Have we no sacredambition? Are we deaf to the yearnings of Divine
love? Yet, my Brothers and Sisters, for wealthand for science,men will
cheerfully quit their warm couches!Cannot we do it now and then for the love
of God and the good of souls? Where is our zeal, our gratitude, our sincerity?
I am ashamedwhile I thus upbraid both myself and you. May we often tarry
at Jabbok, and cry with Jacob, as he graspedthe Angel–
“With You all night I mean to stay,
And wrestle till the break of day.”
Surely, Brothers and Sisters, if we have given whole days to folly, we can
afford a space for heavenly wisdom! Time was when we gave whole nights to
chambering and wantonness, to dancing and the world’s revelry–we did not
tire, then–we were chiding the sun that he rose so soon, and wishing the hours

would lag awhile that we might delight in wilder merriment, and perhaps
deeper sin. Oh, why should we wearyin heavenly employments? Why do we
grow weary when askedto watch with our Lord? Up, sluggishHeart, Jesus
calls you! Rise and go forth to meet the heavenly Friend in the place where He
manifests Himself!
Jesus has further instructed us in the art of specialdevotion by the manner of
His prayer. Notice He continued all night in prayer to God–to God! How
much of our prayer is not prayer to God at all! It is nominally so, but it is
really a muttering to the wind, a talking to the air–for the Presence ofGodis
not realized by the mind. “He that comes to God must believe that He is, and
that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Do you know what it
is, mentally, to lay hold upon the greatUnseen One, and to talk with Him as
really as you talk to a friend whose hand you grip? How heavenly to speak
right down into God’s ear, to pour your heart directly into God’s heart,
feeling that you live in Him as the fish live in the sea, and that your every
thought and word are discerned by Him! It is true pleading when the Lord is
present to you, and you realize His Presence andspeak under the power and
influence of His Divine overshadowing.
That is to pray, indeed, but to continue all night in such a frame of mind is
wonderful to me, for I must confess,and I suppose it is your confession, too,
that if for awhile I getnear to God in prayer, yet distracting thoughts will
intrude–the ravenous birds will come down upon the sacrifice–the noise of
archers will disturb the songs atthe place of drawing of water. How soondo
we forget that we are speaking to God and go on mechanicallypumping up
our desires, perhaps honestly uttering them, but forgetting to Whom they are
addressed!Oh, were He not a gracious God, the imperfection of our prayers
would prevent so much as one of them ever reaching His ear!
But He knows our frailty and takes our prayers, not as what they are, but as
what we mean them to be! And beholding them in Jesus ChristHe accepts
both us and them in the Beloved. Let us learn from our Masterto make our
prayers distinctly and directly appeals to God. That gunner will do no service
to the army who takes no aim, but is contentso long as he does but fire. That
vesselmakes anunprofitable voyage which is not steeredfor a port, but is
satisfiedto sail here and there. We must direct our prayers to God, and
maintain soul-fellowshipwith Him or our devotion will become a nullity, a
name for a thing which is not.
The Ethiopic translation reads, “in prayer with God.” Truly this is the highest
order of prayer, and though the translation may be indefensible, the meaning
is correctenough, for Jesus was eminently with God all night. To pray with

God–do you know what that is? To be the echo of Jehovah’s voice!To desire
the Lord’s desires and long with His longings!This is a gracious conditionto
be in, when the heart is a tablet for the Lord to write upon, a coalblazing with
celestialfire, a leaf driven with the heavenly wind! Oh, to be absorbed in the
Divine will, having one’s whole mind swallowedup in the mind of God! This
for a whole night would be blessed–this foreverbliss itself.
Note too, that some have translated the passage,“in the prayer of God.” This
is probably an incorrecttranslation, though Dr. Gill appears to endorse it,
and it brings out a precious meaning. The most eminent things were in the
Hebrew language ascribedto God, so that by it would be meant the noblest
prayer, the most intense prayer, the most vehement prayer–a prayer in which
the whole man gathers up his full strength and spends it in an agony before
the EternalThrone. Oh, to pray like that! The great, deep, vehement prayer
of God! Brothers and Sisters, I am afraid that as a rule in our Prayer
Meetings, we are much too decorous, and even in our private prayers feel too
much the powerof formality. Oh, how I delight to listen to a Brother who
talks to God simply and from his heart!
And I must confess I have no small liking to those rare old-fashioned
Methodist prayers which are now quite out of date. Our Methodistfriends,
for the most part, are getting too fine and respectable nowadays–toogenteelto
allow of prayers such as once made the walls to ring again. O for a revival of
those glorious violent prayers which flew like hot shot againstthe battlements
of Heaven! O for more moving of the posts of the doors in vehemence–more
thundering at the gates ofmercy! I would soonerattend a prayer meeting
where there were groans and cries all over the place, and cries and shouts of
“Hallelujah!” than be in your polite assemblies where everything is dull as
death and decorous as the whitewashedsepulcher. O for more of the prayer of
God–the whole body, soul and spirit working together–the whole man being
arousedand stirred up to the highestpitch of intensity to wrestle with the
MostHigh! Such, I have no doubt, was the prayer of Jesus onthe cold
mountain’s side.
Once more, we may learn from Jesus ourLord the occasionfor special
devotion. At the time when our Mastercontinued all night in prayer He had
been upbraided by the Pharisees. He fulfilled the resolve of the man after
God’s own heart. “Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with
me without a cause:but I will meditate in Your precepts.” So David did, and
so did David’s Lord. The best answerto the slanderers of the ungodly is to be
more constantin communion with God! Now, has it been so with any of you?
Have you been persecutedor despised? Have you passedthrough any unusual

form of trial? Then celebrate anunusual seasonofprayer! This is the alarm
bell which God rings. Hasten to Him for refuge. See to it that in this, your
time of trouble, you betake yourself to the MercySeatwith greaterdiligence.
Another reasonis also noticedin the context. Christ had said to His disciples,
“Prayyou, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers
into His harvest.” What He told them to do He would be sure to do, Himself.
He was just about to choose12 Apostles, and before that solemn act of
ordination was performed He soughtpower for them from the MostHigh.
Who can tell what blessings were vouchsafedto the 12 in answerto that
midnight intercession? If Satanfell like lightning from Heaven, Jesus'prayer
did it rather than the Apostles'preaching. So, Christian man, if you enter
upon a new enterprise, or engage insomething that is weightierand more
extensive than what you have done before, selecta night or a day and setit
apart for specialcommunion with the MostHigh.
If you are to pray, you must work–but if you are to work, you must also pray.
If your prayer without your work will be hypocrisy, your work without your
prayer will be presumption–so see to it that you are especiallyin supplication
when especiallyin service. Balanceyour praying and working, and when you
have reachedthe full tale of the one, do not diminish any of the other. To any
man here who asks me, “When should I give myself especiallyto a protracted
seasonofprayer?” I would answerthose occasions willfrequently occur. You
should certainly do this when about to join the Church. The day of your
public professionof faith should be altogethera consecratedday. I remember
rising before the sun to seek my Master’s Presenceon the day when I was
buried with Him in Baptism. It seemedto me a solemn ordinance not to be
lightly undertaken, or flippantly carried out–a duty which, if done at all,
should be performed in the most solemnand earnestmanner.
What is Baptism without fellowship with Christ? To be buried in Baptism, but
not with Him, what is it? I would say to you young people who are joining the
Church now, mind you do not do it thoughtlessly, but in coming forward to
enlist in the army of Christ, setapart a specialseasonfor self-examinationand
prayer. When you arrive at any greatchange of life do the same. Do not enter
upon marriage, or upon emigration, or upon starting in business without
having soughta benediction from your Father who is in Heaven. Any of these
things may involve years of pain, or years of happiness to you–seek, therefore,
to have the smile of God upon what you are about to do.
Should you not also make your times of peculiar trial to be also times of
specialprayer? Wait upon God now that the child is dying. Wrestle with Him
as David did about the child of Bathsheba. Draw nearto God with fasting and

prayer for a life that is speciallydear to you if, perhaps, it may be preserved.
And when the axe of death falls and the tree beneath which you found shelter
is cut down, then again, before the grave is closedand the visitation is
forgotten, draw near to God with sevenfold earnestness. And if you have been
studying the Word of God, and cannotmaster a passageofScripture–if some
truth of Revelationstaggersyou–now, again, is a time to set yourself like
Daniel by prayer and supplication to find out what is the meaning of the Lord
in the Book ofHis prophecy.
Indeed, such occasions willoften occurto you who are spiritual, and I charge
you by the living God, if you would be rich in Divine Grace, if you would
make greatadvances in the Divine life–if you would be eminent in the service
of your Master–attendto these occasions. Getan hour alone, an hour, yes–two
hours a day if you can–andgo not awayfrom the Master’s Presencetill your
face is made to shine as once the face of Moses did when he had been long
upon the mount alone with God.
And now, having thus brought out the example of Christ as well as I can, I
want to make an application of the subjectto this Church which at this
juncture has setapart a long seasonforspecialdevotion. My words shall be
few, but I earnestlydesire that God may make them weighty to eachmember
of this Church. A Church, in order to have a blessing upon its specialtimes of
prayer, must abound in constantprayer at other times. I do not believe in
spasmodic efforts for revival. There should be specialoccasions,but these
should be the outgrowths of ordinary, active, healthy vigor! To neglectprayer
all the year round, and then to celebrate a specialweek–isit much better than
hypocrisy? To forsake the regularPrayer Meetings, but to come in crowds to
a specialone–whatis this? Does it not betray superficiality or the
effervescence ofmere excitement?
The Church ought always to pray! Prayer is to her what salt and bread are to
our tables. No matter what the meal, we must have saltand bread there. And
no matter what the Church’s engagements,she must have her regular
constancyof prayer. I think that in London our Churches err in not having
morning and evening prayer daily in every case where the Church is large
enough to maintain it. I am gladthat our zealous Brethren have here for some
years maintained that constantprayer. I am thankful that in this Church I
cannot find much fault with you for non-attendance at the Prayer Meetings.
There are some of you who never come, and I suppose you are such poor
things that you are not of much goodwhether you come or stay away. But on
the whole the most of the people who fear Godin this place are abundant in
their attendance at the means of Divine Grace–notto be blamed in any

measure whateverfor forsaking the assembling of themselves together–for
they do draw near to God most regularly. And such PrayerMeetings have we
every Monday as I fearare not to be found anywhere else. But we must see to
it that we keepthis up, and moreover, those who are lax and lagging behind
must ask forgiveness oftheir heavenly Father, and endeavor henceforthto be
more instant in supplication. If, Brothers and Sisters, men ought always to
pray and not to faint, much more should Christian men!
Jesus has sent His Church into the world on the same errand upon which He
Himself came, and that includes intercession. Whatif I say that the Church is
the world’s priest? Creationis dumb, but the Church is to find a mouth for it.
Ungodly men are dumb of heart and will, but we who have the will and the
powerto intercede dare not be silent. It is the Church’s privilege to pray. The
door of Divine Grace is always open for her petitions and they never return
emptyhanded. The veil was rent for her, the blood was sprinkled upon the
altar for her, God constantlyinvites her! Will she refuse the privilege which
angels might envy her? Is not the Church the bride of Christ? May she not go
in unto her King at any time, at every time? Shall she allow the precious
privilege to be unused?
The Church ever has need for prayer. There are always some in her midst
who are declining, and frequently those who are falling into open sin. There
are the lambs to be prayed for that they may be carried in Christ’s bosom.
There are the strong to be prayed for lestthey grow presumptuous, and the
weak lestthey become despairing. In such a Church as this is, if we kept up
Prayer Meetings 24 hours in the day, 365 days in the year, we might never be
without a specialsubjectfor supplication. Are we ever without the sick and
the poor? Are we ever without the afflicted and the wavering? Are we ever
without those who are seeking the conversionof their relatives, the reclaiming
of backsliders, orthe salvationof the depraved?
No, with such congregations constantlygathering, with such a densely peopled
neighborhood–withthree million sinners around us, the most part of them
lying dead in trespassesand sins! With such a country beginning to be
benighted in superstition–overwhom the darkness of Romanism is certainly
gathering! In a world full of idols, full of cruelties, full of devilries–if the
Church does not pray, how shall she excuse her base neglectof the command
of her loving Lord and Covenant Head? Let this Church, then, be constantin
supplication! There should be frequent Prayer Meetings–thesePrayer
Meetings should be constantly attended by all. Every man should make it a
point of duty to come as often as possible to the place where prayer is to be

made. I wish that all throughout this country the prayers of God’s Churches
were more earnestand constant.
It might make a man weeptears of blood to think that in our Dissenting
Churches in so many cases the Prayer Meetings are so shamefully attended. I
could indicate places that I know of, situated not many miles from where we
now stand, where there are sometimes so few in attendance that there are
scarcelypraying men enough to keepup variety in the PrayerMeeting! I
know towns where the PrayerMeeting is put off during the summer months–
as if the devil would take off during the summer! I know of agricultural
districts where they always put off prayer during the harvest, and I make
some kind of excuse for them because the fruits of the earth must be gathered
in–but I cannotunderstand large congregationswhere the Prayer Meeting
and lecture are amalgamatedbecause there will not be enough persons
coming out to make two decentservices in the week.
And then they saythat God does not bless the Word! How can He bless the
Word? They say“Our conversions are not so numerous as they were,” and
they wonder how it is that we at the Tabernacle have so large an increase
month by month! Do you wonder, Brothers and Sisters, that they have not a
blessing when they do not seek it? Do you wonderthat we have it when we
seek it? That is but a natural law of God’s own government, that if men will
not pray, neither shall they have–andif men will pray, and pray vehemently–
God will deny them nothing! He opens wide His hands and says, “Ask what
you will, and it shall be given to you.”
I wish our denomination of Baptists, and other denominations of Christians
were greaterbelievers in prayer, for this mischief of Ritualism and
Rationalismwhich is coming upon us–this curse which is withering our
nation–this blight and mildew which are devouring the vineyard of the Lord
has all come upon us because public prayer has almost ceasedin the land as to
its constancy, vehemence, and importunity! The Lord recoverus from this
sin! But let the Church be as diligent in prayer as she may on regular
occasions,she ought still to have her specialseasons. A thing which is regular
and constantis sure to tire, so a little novelty is lawful. A little specialtymay
often tend to revive those who, otherwise, would be given to slumber.
The Church should have her specialpraying times because she has her special
needs. There are times when spiritual epidemics fall upon Churches and
congregations. Sometimesit is the disease ofpride, luxury, worldliness. At
other times there are many falling into overt sin. Sometimes a vile form of vice
will break out in the very midst of the Church of God! At other times it is a
heresy, or a doctrine carriedto excess, orill will, or a lack of brotherly love,

or a generallethargy. At such specialtimes of trial a Church should have her
extraordinary PrayerMeetings. When she is engaging in new enterprises and
is about to break up new ground she needs fresh strength, and she should seek
it. Let her call her members together, and with heart and soul let them
commend the work to God.
There should be specialseasons ofprayer because the Holy Spirit prompts us
to it. “I believe in the Holy Spirit,” is a sentence of the Creed, but how few
really believe it? We seemto fancy that we have no motions of the Holy Spirit
now among godly men as before. But I protestbefore the living God that such
is not the case!The Holy Spirit at this day moves in those who are conversant
with Him and who are content to regard His gracious monitions. And He
prompts us to specialfellowship. We speak what we know! We declare what
we have tasted and handled! The Holy Spirit, at certain times, prompts us to
come togetherwith peculiar earnestnessand specialdesires.
And then, if this suffices not, God has been pleasedto set His sealto special
seasonsofprayer–therefore they ought to be held. There have been more
ingatherings, I was about to say, under specialefforts of a month than under
ordinary efforts of 11 months. I am sure that, lastyear, we saw very clearly
God’s blessing upon us during the month of February. All the year round–my
dear Brothers, the deacons and elders canbear me out in it–there were always
casescoming forward who said, “We were decided for Christ during the
February meetings.” God has always blessedthe ministry here. I sayit not to
boast, but to the glory to God! I do not know of any sermon preachedhere
without conversions. Butyet those times of specialmeeting–those solemn
assemblies–have alwaysbeena hundred-fold blessedof God, so that we have
goodreasonto saywe will continue them with renewedzeal because the Lord
is with them.
Now, Brothers and Sisters, I must have just a word with you upon another
matter, namely, that it should be our endeavor to bring power into these
specialmeetings. They are lawful. They are necessary. Let us make them
profitable. The way to do so is to draw near to God as Christ did! When He
prayed it was a Sontalking to His Father–the Son of God talking with the
Father God–andunbosoming His heart in close communion. Come up
tomorrow, my Brethren, as sons of God to your Father! Speak to Him as to
One who is very near akin to you. There will be no lack of power if such is the
case. Jesus drew near to God in His prayer as a priest, the High Priest making
intercessionfor the people. You are all priests and kings unto God if you
believe in Christ.

Come with your breastplates on tomorrow! Come that you may intercede
before the Throne of God pleading the merit of the precious blood. There will
be no flagging if every man puts on his priestly miter. Jesus came before God
with a burning zeal for His Father’s glory. He could say, “The zeal of Your
house has eatenMe up.” Burn and blaze, my Brethren, with love to God! Wait
upon Him this afternoon–letthat be a specialprivate seasonof prayer–and
ask Him to teachyou how to love Him, show you how to reverence Him and
fire you with an intense ambition to spread abroadthe savorof His name!
Jesus Christ drew near to God in prayer with a wondrous love to the souls of
men. Those tears ofHis were not for Himself, but for others! Those sighs and
cries were not for His own pangs, but for the sorrows and the sins of men!
Try to feel as Christ did. Geta tender heart, an awakenedconscience,
quickened sympathies–andthen if you come up to the House of God, the
Prayer Meetings cannotbe dull. Seek to be bathed in the blood of Christ! Go,
my Brothers and Sisters, to the wounds of Christ and get life! Get blood for
your prayers! Sit down at Golgotha and gaze upon your dying Lord, and hear
Him say, “I have loved you, and given Myself for you.” Then rise up with this
resolve in your soul–
“Now for the love I bear His name,
What was my gain I count my loss,”
and go forward determined in His strength that nothing shall be lacking on
your part to win for Him a kingdom, to gain for Him the hearts of the sons of
men! If such shall be your state of mind, I am quite sure there will be power
with God in prayer.
In closing, I shall sayto you, we, above all the Churches of this country, have
a specialneed and a specialencouragementto make our prayers things of
power. For, in the first place, my Brothers and Sisters, whata multitude we
are now! I often wish, though I beg to be pardoned of the Lord for it, that I
had never occupiedthe position that I now fill because ofits solemn
responsibilities. I tell you, when I feelthem, they crush me to the ground and I
can only manage to sustainmy spirits by endeavoring to castthem upon the
Lord. Why, 3,700 ofyou in Church fellowship, or thereabouts–whatcanI do?
Somebody complains that this sick one is not visited, or that that sinning one
is not rebuked. How canI do it? How can one man, how can 20 men, how can
a hundred men do the work? Godknows I would, if I could, cut myself in
pieces, that every piece might be active in His service. But how can we rule
and minister fully in such a Church as this?

God has supplied my lack of service very wonderfully. Still, there are things
that make my heart ache day and night, as well as other matters that make
my soulleap for joy. O pray for this great Church! Where our powerutterly
fails us, let us implore the Divine powerto come in, that all may be kept right.
We have need to pray, for some have fallen. We have to confess it with a blush
that crimsons our cheek–some have fallen shamefully. O pray that others may
not fall, and that the goodmen among us may be upheld by the powerof God
through faith unto salvation! Think, my Brethren, of the agencieswhichwe
are employing. If we do not pray for these they will be so much wastedeffort!
Every week the sermons preachedhere are scatteredby tens of thousands all
over the globe–notin this language only, but in all the languages of
Christendom are they read! Pray that God’s blessing may rest upon the Word
which He has blessedbefore. Our sons, our young ministers whom this
Church has trained at her feet, are now to be counted by hundreds–scattered
all over this country and elsewhere.Intercede for them! Forgetnot your own
sons–turn not your hearts awayfrom your own children whom God has sent
forth to be heralds of the Cross!
In your Sunday schools, in your tract distributions, in your city missions, in
your streetpreaching, in your offering of spiritual literature, in your
orphanage–everywhere–seekto glorify Christ! Do not, I beseechyou, forget
the one thing needful in all this. Do not be foolishbuilders who will buy
marble and precious stones atgreatcost, and then forgetto lay the
cornerstone securely. If it is worth while to serve God, it is worth while to
pray that the service may be blessed!Why all this labor and cost? It is but
offering to the Lord that which He cannotaccept–unlessby prayer you
sanctify the whole.
I think I see you as a Church standing by the side of your altar with the
victims slain. The woodplaced in order but there is, as yet, still lacking the
fire from on high. O intercede, you Elijahs–menof like passions with us, but
yet earnestmen, upon whose hearts God has written prayer–intercede
mightily! Intercede till at last the fire shall come down from Heaven to
consume the sacrifice and to make all go up like a pillar of smoke unto the
MostHigh! I cannot speak unto you as I would. The earnestness ofmy heart
prevents my lips uttering what I feel, but if there are any bonds of love
betweenus–above all, if there are any bonds of love betweenus and Christ–by
His precious blood, by His death-sweat, by His holy life, and by His agonizing
death I do beseechyou to strive togetherwith us in your prayers that the
Spirit of Godmay rest upon us, and to God shall be the glory. Amen and
Amen.

BRUCE HURT MD
Luke 6:12 It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He
spent the whole night in prayer to God.
KJV Luke 6:12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into
a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
• that Ps 55:15-17;109:3,4;Daniel 6:10; Matthew 6:6; Mark 1:35; 14:34-
36; Hebrews 5:7
• He spent the whole night Genesis 32:24-26;Psalms 22:2; Matthew
14:23-25;Mark 6:46; Colossians 4:2
• Luke 5:1-6:16 The Gathering of Disciples - Darrell Bock
• Luke 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
• Luke 6:12-13 Common Men, Uncommon Calling- John MacArthur
• Luke 6:12-19 The Master’s Menand Method - StevenCole
ParallelPassage:
Mark 3:13-19HYPERLINK"/mark-3-commentary#3:13"+And He
went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself
wanted, and they came to Him.
JESUS'PROLONGEDPRAYER
TO HIS FATHER IN HEAVEN
Mark mentions that Jesus went up on the mountain but interestingly omits
the factthat He prayed. Luke frequently shows Jesus in the "secretplace"
praying to His Fatherin Heavenand particularly before major events in His
ministry. Lk 3:21; 5:16; 9:18, 28, 29; 11:1; 22:32, 40-46. The major event here
is of course His selectionofthe 12 disciples who will carry on His ministry
after His death, burial, resurrectionand ascension. It is fascinating that in
answerto prayer, Jesus is led to selectone man, Judas Iscariot, who would
follow along with Jesus foralmost 3 years but who was never a genuine
disciple of Jesus.
THOUGHT - Jesus cleardependence on direction from His Fatheris an
important reminder that we too as His followers needto beseechour
Father in Heaven before any and every important decisionin our life!
How are you doing? Are you as convictedas I am? Would our life be

different if we truly practicedthis type of dependent prayer? As
someone writes Jesus "is our greatexample for a life of prayer, and if
He knew His need of communion with the Father, how much greateris
our need!"
It was at this time - This expressionof time begs the question "What time?"
Luke has just recordedtwo confrontations regarding supposedSabbath
violations with the Jewishreligious leaders. Presumablythis time of extended
prayer follows the healing of the man's withered right hand on the Sabbath
but one cannot be dogmatic. In any event, given the rising level of hostility
againstHis ministry it was clearlytime to chose disciples whom He could
equip and train to carry on the ministry after His crucifixion, which would
take place 1.5 to 2 years later.
THOUGHT - Jesus knew His time was short and that He must
zealously, wiselyredeem the time! How about us beloved? Is our time
any less short? Lest we become complacentpious procrastinators we
need to emblazon the words of James on our forehead (so to speak)
"Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just
a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." (James
4:14HYPERLINK "/james-4-commentary#4:14"+).
THOUGHT - Phillips makes an excellentpoint "A fixed law of Jesus
was never to act in independence of His Father. The original sin in the
Garden of Eden was the sin of acting in independence of God. Luke
begins this sectionby showing us the dependence of the Lord upon His
Father." Should we as His disciples do any less? How many decisions do
we make independent of our Father's input? Woe! I am very convicted
and need to radically increase the number of decisions I am making
only after communion with my Father Who art in Heaven! How about
you?
Constable suggests "Inview of mounting hostility it was imperative that He
receive direction from His Fatherin this choice. A mountain or hill was a
traditional place to pray since it provided seclusionand its elevation gave the
person praying a specialsense ofnearness to God. Luke alone mentioned
Jesus'all night prayer vigil. It shows Jesus'conscious dependence onGod, a
specialemphasis in the third Gospel. The early church followedJesus'
example (Acts 13:2; 14:23; cf. Acts 1:2, 24-26)(Luke 6)
That He went off to the mountain to pray (proseuchomai)- Pray is in the
middle voice which is distinguished by the fact that passive voice the subject is

intentionally, voluntarily acting in His own interest, and He receives the
benefit of the action.
THOUGHT - Interesting thought on the "voice" ofthe verb -- praying
in the middle voice benefiting the one who is praying! Have you ever
thought of your praying to the Father in that way, with that benefit?
Jesus was the MasterTeacherWho always practicedwhat He preached!He
taught us to pray "Our Father" (Mt 6:9HYPERLINK
"https://www.preceptaustin.org/matthew_69-10#6:9"+)and He modelled it to
us! Listen to what Jesus taught relating to prayer and communion with His
Father.
"Truly, truly (AKA THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT - LISTEN
UP! LEARN! APPLY!), I say to you, the Son cando nothing of Himself,
unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whateverthe Father
does, these things the Son also does in like manner." (Jn 5:19)
“I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear (BY IMPLICATION
FROM HIS FATHER), I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do
not seek Myown will, but the will of Him who sent Me." (Jn 5:30)
"So Jesus said, “Whenyou lift up the Son of Man, then you will know
that I am He, and I do nothing on My owninitiative, but I speak these
things as the Father taught Me." (Jn 8:38).
THOUGHT - Is this not in a sense whatwe are asking our Father for
when we pray "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven"? I wonder
how many times we pray those words, but then turn around and almost
immediately go off to do our own selfish will? Just thinking!
RelatedResources:
• The Will Of God
• Other ResourcesonWill of God
NET Note on to the mountain - The expressionto the mountain here
may be idiomatic or generic, much like the English “he went to the
hospital” (cf. Lk 15:29HYPERLINK"/luke-15-commentary#15:29"+),
or even intentionally reminiscent of Ex 24:12 (LXX), since the genre of
the Sermonon the Mount seems to be that of a new Moses giving a new
law. (ED: It is interesting that the Greek has the definite article "the"
[to'] preceding "mountain" which does suggestit was a specific known
mountain. More than that we will have to waituntil Heavento find out
which mountain!)

And He spent the whole night in prayer (proseuche)- This is the record of
Jesus praying all night prayer and in fact the only recordof anyone in the NT
praying all night! A similar dependence on prayer is seenin choosing servants
of the Lord in Acts 13:1-4HYPERLINK "/acts-13-commentary#13:1"+.The
verb is dianuktereuo (dia = through + nux = night, this is a hapax legomenon)
in the present tense meaning that Jesus "continuedall night." MacArthur
observes that "In His humanity, having set aside the independent use of his
divine attributes (Phil. 2:5-8HYPERLINK
"https://www.preceptaustin.org/philippians_25_commentary"+),Jesus sought
the Father’s will in choosing the Twelve....Jesus soughtthe Father's will in
everything He did, doing absolutelynothing independently or on His own
initiative (John 5:19, 30; 8:28)." (MNTC-Mt)
John Phillips - Jesus was aboutto make a momentous decision, one that
would affect the future of the world, but first He must spend time
talking it over with God. Luke emphasizes here the essentialhumanity
of the Lord Jesus. Consequently, he emphasizes the Lord's habits of
prayer. All too often we make decisions and blunder into distressing
situations simply because we fail to pray earnestly enoughabout them.
Jesus nevermade that mistake. The Lord not only was dependent on the
faithfulness of His Father but also was about to become dependent on
the faithfulness of His friends. No wonder He felt the need for a full
night of prayer....The decisions He was about to make calledfor great
spiritual discernment. The character, capacity, andcommitment of each
disciple had to be weighed. (ED: HOW FASCINATING THAT HE
CHOOSE ONE WHO WOULD BETRAY HIM!) (Ibid)
Hendriksen adds that the twelve "included even the man who was going
to become a traitor, in order that, without in any way canceling human
responsibility, God’s counselregarding the salvationof His people
might be carriedout. See Luke 22:22HYPERLINK"/luke-22-
commentary#22:22"+;Acts 2:23HYPERLINK "/acts-2-
commentary#2:23"+ (= Jesus "deliveredover by the predetermined
plan and foreknowledgeofGod")." (BNTC-Luke)
Darrell Bock notes that "This text is one of severalwhere Luke associatesan
event with prayer (Luke 1:13; Luke 2:37; Luke 3:21; Luke 5:16; Luke 6:12,
Luke 6:28; Luke 9:18; Luke 11:1-2;Luke 18:1; Luke 22:41, Luke 22:45)."
(The IVP New TestamentCommentary Series – Luke)
D.L. Moody saidsomething that should convictus all - "I'd rather be able to
pray than be a great preacher;Jesus Christ never taught his disciples how to
preach, but only how to pray."

In His high, priestly prayer, Jesus mentions His original 12 disciples as a gift
from God
“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of
the world (His 12 Apostles); they were Yours and You gave them to Me,
and they have kept Your word. 7 “Now they have come to know that
everything You have given Me is from You; 8 for the words which You
gave Me I have given to them; and they receivedthem and truly
understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent
Me. 9 “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of
those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; 10 and all things
that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified
in them. 11“Iam no longerin the world; and yet they themselves are in
the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keepthem in Your name,
the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We
are. 12 “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name
which You have given Me;and I guarded them and not one of them
perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be
fulfilled. 13 “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the
world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 “I have
given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are
not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 1 5“Ido not ask You to
take them out of the world, but to keepthem from the evil one. 16
“Theyare not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 “Sanctify
them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 “As You sentMe into the
world, I also have sent them into the world. 19“Fortheir sakesI sanctify
Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctifiedin truth. (John 17:6-
19)
Comment: As an aside it is worth noting that Jesus'prayer in John 17 is
predominantly for His original apostles but does include prayer for all
believers. His greatprayer can be broken down as follows - (1) Jesus'
prayer for Himself (John 17:1-5); 2) Jesus'prayer for the apostles (John
17:6-19);and 3) Jesus'prayer for all NT believers who will form the
church (John 17:20-26).
Pray (4336)(proseuchomai from pros = toward, facing, before
[emphasizing the direct approach of the one who prays in seeking God’s
face]+ euchomai = originally to speak out, utter aloud, express a wish,
then to pray or to vow. Greek technicalterm for invoking a deity) in the
NT is always usedof prayer addressedto God (to Him as the object of
faith and the One who will answerone’s prayer) and means to speak

consciously(with or without vocalization) to Him, with a definite aim.
The imperfect tense signifies Jesus is praying over and over, againand
again. He did not fall asleepwhile praying as so many of us do in early
morning hour!
Spent the whole night (1273)(dianukteriuo from diá = through +
nuktereúō = to pass the night from núx = night) means to pass the night
and this is the only NT use. It describes His prayer as continuing
throughout the entire night.
Prayer (4335)(proseuche frompros = towardor immediately before +
euchomai= to pray or vow) is the more generalword for prayer and is
used only of prayer to God. The prefix pros would convey the sense of
being immediately before Him and hence the ideas of adoration,
devotion, and worship. The basic idea is to bring something, and in
prayer this pertains to bringing up prayer requests. In early Greek
culture an offering was brought with a prayer that it be accepted. Later
the idea was changedslightly, so that the thing brought to God was a
prayer. In later Greek, prayers appealedto God for His presence.
Proseuche is used 37 times in the NT. Note the concentrationof prayer
in the early church! (see uses in Acts below)What has happened to us as
a church in America? How might this relate to how infrequently we see
the powerof the Lord at work in our midst? Is your church a praying
church? Luke's uses of proseuche - Lk. 6:12; Lk. 19:46;Lk. 22:45; Acts
1:14; Acts 2:42; Acts 3:1; Acts 6:4; Acts 10:4; Acts 10:31;Acts 12:5;
Acts 16:13;Acts 16:16
Oh, help me, Lord, to take the time
To set all else aside,
That in the secretplace of prayer
I may with You abide. —Anon.
One secretofeffective prayer is prayer in secret.
Warren Wiersbe - Why did He pray all night? For one thing, He knew that
opposition againstHim was growing and would finally result in His
crucifixion; so He prayed for strength as He facedthe path ahead. Also, He
wanted the Father's guidance as He selectedHis 12 Apostles, for the future of
the church rested with them. Keep in mind that one of the Twelve would
betray Him, and Jesus knew whohe wasfrom the beginning (John6:64). Our
Lord had real human emotions (Luke 22:41-44;Heb. 5:7-8), and it was
through prayer that He made this difficult choice. ( Bible Exposition
Commentary)

ILLUSTRATION - Sir George Adam Smith tells how he and his guide were
climbing the Weisshornin the Swiss Alps. It was stormy and they were
making their climb on the shelteredside of the peak. When they reachedthe
summit, they were filled with the exhilaration. Sir George forgotabout the
fierce winds, leaped up and was nearly blown over the edge to the glacier
below! The guide grabbed hold of him and exclaimed:“On your knees, sir!
You are safe here only on your knees!” Prayerdrives us to God! – Prayer
doesn’t pull God towardmy will, but helps me to align with His will!
Sledding And Praying
Now it came to pass in those days that [Jesus]wentout to the mountain to
pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. —Luke 6:12
When the snow flies in Michigan, I like to get my grandkids, grab our plastic
sleds, and go slipping and sliding down our backyard. We zoom down the hill
for about 10 seconds, and then climb back up for more.
When I travel to Alaska with a bunch of teenagers, we also go sledding. We
are hauled by bus nearly to the top of a mountain. We jump on our sleds and,
for the next 10 to 20 minutes (depending on levels of bravery), we slide at
breakneck speeds downthe mountain, holding on for dear life.
Ten seconds in my backyardor 10 minutes down an Alaskanmountain.
They’re both calledsledding, but there is clearly a difference.
I’ve been thinking about this in regard to prayer. Sometimes we do the “10
seconds in the backyard” kind of praying—a quick, spur-of-the-moment
prayer or a short thanks before eating. At other times, we’re drawn to “down
the mountain” praying—extended, intense times that require concentration
and passionin our relationship with Him. Both have their place and are vital
to our lives.
Jesus prayed often, and sometimes for a long time (Luke 6:12; Mark 14:32-
42). Either way, let us bring the desires of our heart to the God of the
backyards and the mountains of our lives.ByDave Branon
Lord, please challenge us to pray constantly—both in
short sessionsand long. As we face the valleys, hills,
and mountains of our lives, may we lift our hearts
and minds to You in constantcommunication.
The heart of prayer is prayer from the heart.

GOTQUESTIONS
• Luke 6:12-13 Why pray? What is the point of prayer when God knows
the future and is already in control of everything? If we cannotchange
God's mind, why should we pray?"
Rod Mattoon- Walter Rauschenbuschgives some greatprinciples on praying.
1. Be simple and direct in your secretprayer. The grace of simplicity is
not to be despisedin public prayer; but when we call on God in secret,
any formality or elaboratenessin our petitions is an offense.
2. Pray audibly. You need not lift your voice to be heard in the street,
but it is vastly better to pray not merely in your thoughts but also with
words. The utterance of our wants helps us to define them.
3. Be honest in your secretprayer. Do not express any want that you do
not feel. Do not confess any fault that you do not mean to forsake.Do
not keepanything back. Rememberthat it is He that searcheththe
heart to whom you are speaking.
4. Pray earnestly. The words need not be loud, but the desire should be
intense. The effectualfervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
No listless, drowsypetitioning will serve.
5. Do not mock God in your prayers. Do not beg Him to come to you.
You know that He is never far from any soul that seeksHim. That
prayer is answeredbefore you utter it.
6. Do not ask Godto do for you that which He has expresslybidden you
to do. Pray always with specialreference to the needs of the day and the
hour—the warfare to be waged, the temptations to be resisted, the work
to be done, the sorrow to be borne. Put your life into your prayer and
let it be the most real and the most immediate business of your life.
ILLUSTRATION I have been asked, "Whatis the best position to pray?" The
story about three preachers answersthis question. Three preachers were
talking about prayer in generaland the appropriate and effective positions for
prayer. As they were talking, a telephone repairman was working on the
phone system in the background. One minister sharedthat he felt the keywas
in the hands. He always held his hands togetherand pointed them upward as
a form of symbolic worship. The secondsuggestedthat real prayer was
conducted on your knees. The third suggestedthat they both had it wrong.

The only position worth its salt was to pray while stretched out flat on your
face. By this time the phone man couldn't stayout of the conversationany
longer. He interjected: "I found that the most powerful prayer I evermade
was while I was dangling upside down by my heels from a powerpole,
suspended forty feetabove the ground!" Beloved, don't worry about your
position, just pray! (Mattoon's Treasures – Treasures from Luke, Volume 1)
RelatedResources:
• Prayer Quotes
• Pithy Prayer Phrases
• Prayer - Greek Words for Prayer
• Prayer Devotionals andIllustrations
• Prayer Hymns and Poems
• Prayer Quotes
• Prayer Quotes, Devotionalsand Illustrations
• Praying His Word
• Praying in the Spirit
• Spurgeon's Gems on Prayer
Spurgeon- Morning and Evening - If ever one of woman born might have
lived without prayer, it was our spotless, perfecta Lord, and yet none was
ever so much in supplication as he! Such was his love to his Father, that he
loved much to be in communion with him: such his love for his people, that he
desired to be much in intercessionforthem. The fact of this eminent
prayerfulness of Jesus is a lessonfor us-he hath given us an example that we
may follow in his steps. The time he chose was admirable, it was the hour of
silence, whenthe crowdwould not disturb him; the time of inaction, when all
but himself had ceasedto labour; and the seasonwhenslumber made men
forgettheir woes, and ceasetheir applications to him for relief. While others
found rest in sleep, he refreshed himself with prayer. The place was also well
selected. He was alone where none would intrude, where none could observe:
thus was he free from Pharisaic ostentationand vulgar interruption. Those
dark and silent hills were a fit oratory for the Son of God. Heaven and earth
in midnight stillness heard the groans and sighs of the mysterious Being in
whom both worlds were blended. The continuance of his pleadings is

remarkable;the long watches were nottoo long; the coldwind did not chill his
devotions; the grim darkness did not darken his faith, or loneliness check his
importunity. We cannot watchwith him one hour, but he watchedfor us
whole nights. The occasionfor this prayer is notable; it was after his enemies
had been enraged-prayerwas his refuge and solace;it was before he sent forth
the twelve apostles-prayerwas the gate of his enterprise, the herald of his new
work. Should we not learn from Jesus to resort to specialprayer when we are
under peculiar trial, or contemplate fresh endeavours for the Master's glory?
Lord Jesus, teachus to pray.
Rich Cathers - I imagine that praying through the night is a little like fasting
on its impact in prayer. Andrew Murray: “Prayeris the one hand with which
we grasp the invisible. Fasting is the other hand, the one with which we let go
of the visible.”
“Fasting helps to express, to deepen, and to confirm the resolution that we are
ready to sacrifice anything, even ourselves, to attain the Kingdom of God.”
Sometimes we talk too much about prayer and pray too little.
Andrew Murray also writes, "The unconverted man says, “Conversionis easy
tomorrow, but hard today. I’ll put it off.” Even so, prayer that is now difficult
appears easyin the future. Alas, you will find it just as hard in the future as
now. ... Reading a book about prayer, listening to lectures and talking about it
is very good, but it won’t teachyou to pray. You getnothing without exercise,
without practice. I might listen for a yearto a professorofmusic playing the
most beautiful music, but that won’t teachme to play an instrument."
Pray beloved. Practice prayer. Grow in prayer.
Luke 6:13 And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose
twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles:
KJV Luke 6:13 And when it was day, he calledunto him his disciples:
and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
• when Lk 9:1,2; Matthew 9:36-38;10:1-4;Mark 3:13-19;6:7
• twelve Lk 22:30;Matthew 19:28;Revelation12:1; 21:14
• apostles Lk 11:49; Ephesians 2:20; 4:11; Hebrews 3:1; 2 Peter3:2;
Revelation18:20
• Luke 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
• Luke 6:12-13 Common Men, Uncommon Calling- John MacArthur

• Matthew 10:1 The Messengersofthe King - John MacArthur
• Mark 3:13-19 Twelve Ordinary Men - John MacArthur
• See Thomas Constable's nice chart of the 12 (Scrolldown)(comparing
the lists in Mt. 10:2-4 Mk 3:16-19 Lk 6:14-16 Acts 1:13)
• Luke 6:12-19 The Master’s Menand Method - StevenCole
DEITY'S DOZEN:
DISCIPLES MADE APOSTLES
ParallelPassage:
Mark 3:13-19 And He went up on the mountain and summoned those
whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. 14 And He appointed
twelve (see comment below for phrase not found in NAS), so that they
would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, 15 and
to have authority to castout the demons.
Comment on phrase missing from NAS: The NAS does not include a
phrase found in the ESV and the NET (whom he named apostles).
NET Note explains "The phrase "whom he named apostles"is lacking
in the majority of MSS (A C(2 )[D] L ¦(1 )33 Û latt sy). Severalprimary
Alexandrian and Caesareanwitnesses(a B [C* W] Q ¦(13 )28 pc co)
include the phrase, so the external evidence is strongly in favor of this
reading, especiallysince Alexandrian witnesses tend to witness to the
shorter reading. It is possible that the Alexandrian witnesses have
inserted these words to bring the text in line with Luke 6:13 (TCGNT
69), but againstthis is the internal evidence of Mark's style: Mark tends
toward gratuitous redundancy. Thus the inclusion of this phrase is
supported by both internal and external evidence and should be
regardedas more likely original than the omission."
Matthew 10:1 Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them
authority over unclean spirits, to castthem out, and to heal every kind
of disease and every kind of sickness.2 Now the names of the twelve
apostles are these:The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his
brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
When day came - After persevering in prayer the FatherrevealedHis will
regarding who His Son was to chose for His apostles.
He called His disciples to Him - This callis not the verb kaleo (whichincludes
the nuances of to invite or to summon) but the verb prosphoneo which is
simply to address another person. Mark 3:13HYPERLINK "/mark-3-

Jesus was in prayer all night

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