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Unstoppable! 'Seeking God's Will in Prayer' — Acts 1:23-26 Thursday, January 18, 2024 So [the disciples] nominated two men [as a replacement for Judas]: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they all prayed, "O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs." Then they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven. — Acts 1:23-26 NLT Key Thought These early believers trusted in prayer and in the work of God to show them his choice for the correct apostle to replace Judas. They were confident that God would work through this process because they submitted their will to him, and he knew the hearts of the men under consideration. No one politicked behind the scenes to get votes. No person or group had control. The early church placed the choice in the hands of God, and in a process that many of us would not feel comfortable using. God made this choice, not human beings. There was no dispute, so the new movement kept advancing. The process and its openness repaired the hole left by Judas. TODAY'S PRAYER O Father, give me, give us the confidence to place our decisions, whether small or extremely important, in your hands. Give us the wisdom to choose a decision-making method that keeps us, flawed human beings, from manipulating the choices. May your will, your choice, triumph over our human failings and selfishness. We need you to lead the way, and we commit to follow you, O Lord. Through Jesus, we pray and offer our commitment. Amen. RELATED SCRIPTURE READINGS Psalm 105:4 Acts 1:14