The priority of prayer


There were needs in the church. There was a strong movement to care for the believers, particularly widows. The work of the church was spiritual but also encompassed the entire life of each member. Prayer was central and powerful.

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.

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. 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. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:1–4

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Acts 4:31

  1. The work of the church is, first of all about the word of God and prayer.
  2. God calls some to focus on that ministry and others to be dispensers and administrators of a compassionate ministry.
  3. But God provided the power for those critical days in response to prayer.

Do the will of God

So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us”. All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. Acts 6: 12-15

One of the most prominent deacons in the Early Church was Stephen: “a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit”, he was a powerful man in God and announced the gospel of Jesus Christ, but that caused many religious leaders to rise up in opposition to him.

They even paid bribes for false witnesses to file blasphemy statements against him. Even so, Stephen stood firm and did the Lord’s will. We must always remain in the Father’s will, even though in the eyes of others it may seem “crazy”, because our greatest desire must be to please God and not men.

✍️🟣Mrs. Kalaiselvi Balakrishnan in Jesus Christ 🟣✍️