Today's Verse

VERSE:
  So after they [the church at Antioch] had fasted and prayed,
they  placed their hands on them [Barnabas and Saul] and sent them
off.

   -- Acts 13:3
      

THOUGHT:
  While fasting is not widely practiced in many churches today, it
is clearly something that was a part of the early church
experience. Whether sponsored by our congregations or not, let's
make sure that we prepare for major events with a time of prayer
and fasting, asking for God's leading, power, and guidance as we
embark on his work in the world.

PRAYER:
  O Lord, I know you love all people. Please bless those who are
in cultures other than their own, seeking to lovingly share your
Gospel with those who are lost as Paul and Barnabas did when the
Holy Spirit and the church at Antioch sent them out. Bless their
efforts with success, protect them from the evil one, and lead them
in the direction they need to go. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen