Friday, April 28
Acts 14:23 – Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
Paul and Barnabas have returned to the areas of Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. In fact, when they were there last, Paul had been stoned–presumably to death (Acts 14:19)! Yet, they were undeterred. They returned with renewed vigor to strengthen the souls of disciples in the region. To make sure that the church had—and kept—a firm foothold, they instilled respected members of the community (these were most likely esteemed and honored heads of household) as elders in the churches that they planted.
Paul and Barnabas were not content with simply setting up a committee and “gettin’ out of Dodge” (and who wouldn’t, considering the past when there were large rocks flying around)! They prayed and fasted concerning the leadership of these newly appointed elders. They didn’t pray and fast as a way to showcase their piety or church-worker skills. They sought God through prayer and fasting because they knew that the new (early) churches did not necessarily have a firm Old Testament foundational knowledge. They understood that these churches were being–and would continue to be–met with increasing dislike and confrontation. They wanted to demonstrate proper worship and honor, and additionally give the offering of their fast to the glory of God and His Church that it may continue to be built and grow.
Paul and Barnabas definitely knew what they were doing when it came to planting churches. But at the end of it all, they knew that without the guidance of the Holy Spirit and grace of God, the churches would not succeed. So, they went to their knees and sought God’s blessing. If it’s good enough for the guys who started this whole Church thing in the first place—maybe it’s good enough for us?
Prayer Topic:
As you go to your knees, raise your hands, open your Bible, or however you choose to seek God, make sure that–by His grace–you ALWAYS SEEK HIM FIRST! He desires for us to seek Him and His wisdom in all things, not just in the things we feel we can’t handle. Just as the Lord blessed the early Church and the work of Paul and Barnabas through prayer and fasting, today we should also consider—nay doing—the same. In ALL things.
Douglas Richmond & Bill Gunderson