June 28, 2022 - Acts 20:19-20

“I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.” Acts 20:19-20 NIV

Lord, we thank you so much for giving Paul what he needed to endure through all the trials that he faced. What wisdom you gave him to pass on to us. What an inspiration that he is to us. Because he pressed on, he was able to play a huge part in seeing the Good News spread and the early church established. How many lives have been impacted through Paul in the last two thousand years? Lord, how different might the church look today if Paul had not persevered through the many trials that he faced.

Lord, you have placed a calling on each one of us. Even if we think our calling doesn’t seem as significant as Paul’s, we can never know how one simple act made in obedience to you could alter history in a major way. Paul was so committed to the lost and the calling that you placed on him. He loved you and serving you more than he loved his own comfort. Even knowing it might cause him to face death, he didn’t let fear slow him down. Grow our passion for you to this level. Help us not be intimidated by fear. Help us not allow our comfort to come before walking in obedience to you. Break our heart for the lost, so that we can’t ignore the needs found all around us. Open our eyes to see beyond our own lives. Help us make serving you our highest priority in life. If like Paul, we need to walk through the trials to grow into the people you need us to be to use us in a significantly influential way, we say, “Yes, Lord”. You are worth it. Seeing the lost redeemed, makes the suffering worth it. Continue to grow us so that our choices are always obedience regardless of what it costs us.

In Jesus name, amen.