30 Days - Day 3

Day 3

Acts 1:24

4 And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen

During this time of preparation, while waiting on the promises of God the disciples are not idle. They are waiting, but waiting with a purpose. They have been promised power and that they will be witnesses of Christ, but they also realize that they have responsibility. As they were expectantly waiting they also realize that there is a hole that needs to be filled,there is something that needs to be done. Judas was dead and as they studied the scripture they realized that his place needed to be filled. So two candidates were offered that were witnesses to all that Jesus had done from His baptism to His ascension. Two names over which they now prayed for guidance.

Everyday we also have a host of opportunities and possibilities to chose from. Most of them are not as important as who would fill the role of an apostle but, all the same, even little choices that we make can have a much larger impact later on. We are also limited as to what we are able to accomplish and what we have strength for each day. Each day God gives us, He sets before us choices. With the disciples there were two good men that they put forward. Two who had equal experience. Two who could fill the position. Often we also have similar choices placed before us. They look equal but we can only choose one. There isn’t time, energy or place for all the possibilities and the choice that we make will affect what we are able to do in the future. The good news is that God sees the end of all things. Where we lack understanding and insight, He is able to give the hidden answer. The question is will we call on Him? Will we ask for wisdom? Will we let the God that sees all things and knows all things direct our paths while we wait upon Him.

Then there is also the concept of waiting. So often we are impatient people. We don’t know how to wait on the Lord. The time between the “action” seems like inactivity. However, it is possible to “wait” with a purpose. God is more interested in us than in what we do for Him. He wants relationship and sometimes that means sitting and talking with Him, seeking His advice and guidance and just abiding in His presence. We should not use it as an excuse to be lazy, yet resting in and waiting expectantly on Him.

We covet your prayers. It is hard to wait. We get anxious for "action". Yet we know that we must stay “in step” with God. He is the one that must "build the house" or we labor in vain. Yet that can be so hard sometimes. There are also many possibilities that we could spend a lot of time and effort on trying to get up and running. We need wisdom to know where to put our energy, time and resources (all of which are limited) so that there will be the greatest return for His work.

Prayer Request - Day 3

1) Wisdom to know where to spend our time and what opportunities to focus on
2) Continued Development of ministries and future possibilities (English Camps, Bible Studies, Student Outreach, Family Outreach, Crisis Pregnancy - Phil and Yvonne, etc)
3) Open doors to continue to reach out to neighbors and acquaintances and also to meet new people
4) Personal and corporate walk with the Lord - growth, praise and worship, guidance