Articles
Devoted to Prayer
“But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word”(Acts 6:4).
The apostles are presented with a problem within the Jerusalem church. Widows are being neglected. Tensions are high. Racism is implied. People are complaining. Yet they respond with the seasoned perspective of spiritual men: “And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables’”(Acts 6:2). Their divine commission to preach the word of God is more important than settling disputes like these. The task is delegated to other men, “but we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word”(Acts 6:4). Devoted to preaching, sure, but devoted to prayer? The apostles declare prayer a task so urgent that church problems must wait. It is no surprise, then, that when seven men are selected to solve the problem, the apostles “prayed and laid their hands on them”(Acts 6:6). What else would men devoted to prayer do?
Later, the Antioch church is burgeoning with prophets and teachers. What are they busy doing? “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting”(Acts 13:2), the Spirit singles out Barnabas and Saul for a different mission. They are given over to personal worship and devotional fasts. It is no surprise to read that “after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off”(Acts 13:3). What else would men devoted to worship and fasting do?
These examples show us that church work grows out of prayer. Too often we focus so much on what we are doing that we forget the fundamental order. We pray, and then things happen! In all our doing, we can never neglect prayer.
They show us that church leaders are those who are personally devoted to spiritual living. Preachers are first pray-ers. Apostles are devoted to prayer. Prophets and teachers fast and pray. Elders, for example, are not simply those who win a congregational popularity contest. They are men living the life whose fidelity shows them worthy of more responsibility.
They show us that we must make time for God. Being devoted to a practice means taking time that could be used for something else. The apostles say no to work—good work, even God’s work—because prayer and ministry supersede it. Personal devotion will require choosing the good and saying no to all else.
Surely we are not all apostles, but we can all be devoted to sincere personal service to God!
