“And after I’d prayed, I picked up my burden again.”
I found myself saying this, mentally picturing the time I spent in prayer, offering everything in my heart to the Lord. Then, I said “amen,” and meticulously picked up every single heavy stone I’d intended to leave there.
It makes sense, in the human sense, that we would want to keep an eye on those things that are precious to us. I think this is especially true when praying for our loved ones in the Lord. We wouldn’t be bringing these requests to his feet if they weren’t important and close to our hearts! If the natural response is to hold on tightly to what matters most to us- what is the biblical response?
Once again, I find myself so grateful for the example of the apostles. There are many scriptures that speak to this struggle.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (ESV).
“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV).
In addition to these scriptures, we also have so many amazing examples of faith in the gospels, the prayers of Jesus himself as an example, not to mention the myriads of accounts in the Old Testament! The Bible is full of direction when it comes to prayer and leaving things with the Father in faith.
Example in the book of Acts
Reading through the book of Acts, I was struck by the following action on the part of the church.
“And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” Acts 14:23 (ESV).
The story here is quite interesting. The Holy Spirit heals a man (who had been unable to walk since birth) through the Apostle Paul. In response, the Lycaonians begin to call him and Barnabas after the names of their own god’s and make preparations to sacrifice to them! The two men are so upset by this they tear their garments and beg the people not to worship them! They are only humans themselves. The gospel is shared, but even after this, the people are difficult to persuade from their sacrifice. In a sweeping turn of events (you can read the full story in the chapter!) trouble is soon stirred up for Paul. Instead of peace, the crowds turn violent and beat the apostle Paul to the point of thinking he has died. They drag him outside the city and leave him. He is eventually surrounded by the brothers, walks back into the city, and leaves Lystra (and understandably so!). What’s amazing is that just a few verses later, we find him and Barnabas journeying BACK to this city that had rejected them- and almost killed Paul. Why did they return?
“…they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:21b-22 (ESV).
The testimony the apostles had in these cities is striking. Especially in Lystra, the churches would have known (if not witnessed) what had happened to Paul. This was a newly planted church, with many new converts. The apostles didn’t mince words or begin a PR campaign to keep converts. They showed up in honesty, looking to strengthen the hearts of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. These cities had already proven to be difficult for believers – the apostle Paul was (miraculously) walking proof of this! Yet, they came with encouragement for the children of God who were living out their lives in that dark place: continue in the faith! It wasn’t (and still isn’t) a strange thing to have tribulation, obstacles, and hard things as a follower of Jesus. It was (and is) an inevitability to face trials as we walk as part of (and in pursuit of) God’s Kingdom! Paul was able to stand before them, a walking testament to what they might face, and encourage their hearts in the Lord (continue in the faith!), pointing their eyes to the Kingdom of God.
In light of this story, the next verse hits me sharply and immediately makes me pause.
“And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” Acts 14:23 (ESV).
All the brothers visiting these towns had so much love, hard work, and ministry invested in the churches (and in Paul’s case had taken a literal beating for his testimony of the gospel). Like so many of the other places they planted churches, they could not stay indefinitely. If there was ever something to weigh upon the heart of an apostle, the well-being of a group of new believers would understandably weigh heavy. Here we get a glimpse into their process, faith that accompanies action steps, and trust in God’s grace.
They did what they had the ability to do, according to the will of God. They appointed elders to oversee and shepherd the church.
By prayer and fasting they committed the believers to the Lord. The church was made up of individuals who had chosen to believe in Jesus as their Messiah. The brothers who prayed and fasted knew that they could commit this new church to the Lord they had believed upon.
This story is incredible. Not only did they have faith to go BACK to Lystra, but they had faith to leave the church in the hands of God.
When we find ourselves praying for a loved one, a struggling believer, or perhaps we are praying for a church that is literally walking through persecution- we are speaking to the same Lord the apostles prayed to. Our faith can have feet, we can do what it is that God is calling us to do! We can pray and fast and pour our hearts out before the throne of God. Then, we can commit our brother or sister in Christ to the grace of God. Continue to pray, but know that the person on our heart is continually before the throne because they are in his grace.
I would venture to say this, too: if Jesus is your Savior, you can commit your walk and your faith (in any circumstance!) to his grace, as well. May we live in the peace that comes when we commit our hearts, faith, and walk to the Lord.
- What role did knowing God’s will play in the actions of the apostle Paul?
- What aspects of God’s grace are highlighted by this account?
- How does the message of the gospel explain the grace to which the believers were committed?
