[The apostles to the church in Jerusalem concerning ministering to the widows:] "Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty." ... And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.
—Acts 6:3 ESV, Acts 6:5 ESV
At this crucial moment in the life of the early church, the people agreed to look for servant leaders to help take care of the needy widows among them. While the task appears to be a physical task — taking care of hungry widows, the men chosen to take care of this task had to be spiritual men. Spiritual in this context means "men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom." Let's see this situation as a reminder that all of God's work is spiritual and all who serve need to be spiritual as well!
O Father, forgive us for segmenting our lives into spiritual and secular categories. Deep in our hearts, we know that all of our lives are to be lived under the influence and guidance of your Holy Spirit. Help us be discerning as we try to find those to lead and serve. As your people, we want what we do and how we do it in every area of our lives and the lives of our servant leaders to reflect your holy character and your gracious compassion. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Ⓒ 1996-2021 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
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—Acts 6:3 ESV, Acts 6:5 ESV
Key Thought
At this crucial moment in the life of the early church, the people agreed to look for servant leaders to help take care of the needy widows among them. While the task appears to be a physical task — taking care of hungry widows, the men chosen to take care of this task had to be spiritual men. Spiritual in this context means "men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom." Let's see this situation as a reminder that all of God's work is spiritual and all who serve need to be spiritual as well!
Today's Prayer
O Father, forgive us for segmenting our lives into spiritual and secular categories. Deep in our hearts, we know that all of our lives are to be lived under the influence and guidance of your Holy Spirit. Help us be discerning as we try to find those to lead and serve. As your people, we want what we do and how we do it in every area of our lives and the lives of our servant leaders to reflect your holy character and your gracious compassion. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Ⓒ 1996-2021 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Continue reading...
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