Then They Prayed

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation                                        Acts 1:24

Then They Prayed

by Robert T. Cooper

There was a need in the church. They examined the options and came down to one of two choices. In this case, there was a need for a single person. They came down to one of two people to fill the need. Then they prayed.

How often in church business do we never get around to praying more than a “God bless this business” opening and closing prayer? It is shamefully too often. Churches nowadays don’t have many real prayer meetings on their schedules anyway. But the church business meeting should be one of the prayingest meetings of all!

So when they got to the point of praying, how did they begin their prayer? “Lord, you know everyone’s heart.” Did you catch that? They began with praise, but not just with any old praise. They began with praise that was specific to the business decision at hand. The Bible tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people. Face it, if in your church business meetings you want to vote for God’s will to be done (on earth as it is in heaven), then you would do well to pause before the vote and praise God in terms specific to the business decision at hand.

Finally, they were ready to pray, “Show us which of these two you have chosen.” You do understand that God is quite capable of answering, “Neither.” He did so on several occasions in Scripture. He is also quite capable of answering, “Both.” But if you have been seeking the Lord up to this point and have concluded that it is one or the other of the options on the table at the present time, then God will do just what you have prayed. He will show you which of the two He has chosen.

There are often things that need deciding in a church. Next time consider doing it this biblical way.

Has your church ever prayed like this right before a vote in a business meeting? Could your church do so in the future? We welcome your comments.

Ways to Show Your Love for God

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation                                              Acts 1:1

Ways to Show Your Love for God

by Robert T. Cooper

It’s in just about every movie. The couple find themselves very close to one another. They lock eyes. The background music becomes romantic strings. The couple’s lips touch ever so briefly. Suddenly they are locked in a passionate embrace. From there everything goes X-rated. That is what Hollywood calls love. It is that sort of dysfunctional schlock that fills everything from children’s movies to chick flicks. It is also the subject matter of, oh say, 98% of all pop/rock/country songs. But it isn’t really love. And it isn’t going to help you know how to show your love for God.

The book of Acts is dedicated to Theophilus. This name means “Lover of God.” The Gospel of Luke was also dedicated to Theophilus. Since in Bible days names and nicknames were given to describe the character (or at least to hopefully influence the developing character) of the person. I’ve always wished we knew a little more about Theophilus in addition to the name. All we can do is guess. There aren’t even any useful traditions.

On the other hand, we can fruitfully think about us. If you or I were to earn the nickname, “Lover of God,” the people around us would need to see certain actions in our lives. They would need to see more than that we had strong feelings about God. They would need to see us living out our devotion to God. Let me suggest three ways to show your love for God.

1.      People who are in love devote time to the One they love. They want to listen to the voice of their Beloved for hours on end. They want to read the love letters of their Beloved for hours on end. They want to write love letters to their Beloved. They simply sit and stare, contemplating the features of their Beloved. They whisper in the ear of their Beloved sweet nothings, mostly words of praise for the beauty and the character and the remarkable accomplishments of their Beloved.

2.      People who are in love sacrifice their own agendas in order to do what their Beloved wants to do. They go where their Beloved wants to go. They learn to be interested in the things that interest their Beloved and give up those things that do not interest their Beloved. They sacrifice time with old friends in order to be with the Beloved and the Beloved’s friends.

3.      People who are in love sacrifice expenditures on themselves in order to lavish gifts on the Beloved, tokens of affection, things that will please and honor the Beloved. And should the Beloved present a token in return, that token is received with pride; if it can be worn, it is worn with pride for all to see what the Beloved has done.

I get up early to spend time with the Lord. I’m not very good at journaling, but I try to do some. I go through phases when I am better at meditating for awhile, and then not as good for awhile; but I keep surrounding myself with books and music that will influence me in that direction.

That’s a little about me. Would you share a little about you?