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Are you praying for souls to be saved? Are you praying that more people will come to know the Lord and His Son, Jesus? Praise God! If you are not, then no problem. Today is the very day that you can start. Remember that Jesus said the word needed to reach the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:18-20). Also, remember that we, believers, are charged with this assignment. Not just your pastor, not just that evangelist you've seen, but you and me.
As you begin to recognize this, also realize that as you pray for souls to come to the Lord, you will likely have to be an Ananias at some point. Are you familiar with his story? In the Book of Acts, the Lord sent him to find a Pharisee named Saul (Acts 9:11). When the Lord told him to go, he had some doubts. His logic kicked in, and he asked the Lord if the Saul in question was the one who'd been attacking his fellow believers and having them killed (Acts 9:13-14).
God, in His wisdom, mercifully corrected Ananias and gave him insight that changed his perspective on Saul (Acts 9:15-16). With that, Ananias went and did as directed. He brought Saul to Christ. That act of obedience was pivotal in Saul's journey to becoming Apostle Paul. A man who wrote the most books in the New Testament and whose life has inspired and helped countless Christians.
Most of us don't want to be someone's Ananias, but the truth is, we are all called to be. If not you, then who? And don't say there are other people for this. Don't put the responsibility off and onto others. Think about it, the average pastor is caring for hundreds of souls. The average apostle is dealing with multiple churches filled with people.
How many are you dealing with, brother and sister in Christ? Those who are stepping up are swamped by the high demand for spiritual help. Now imagine taking one person, talking to them about Jesus, and sharing what God wants you to tell them, as Ananias did. Just one person could make a huge difference. It could help with the workload our spiritual leaders face and, more importantly, bring all of heaven into rejoicing because the Bible teaches that heaven celebrates one soul that repents (Luke 15:7). You could be the one to make this happen.
Matthew 9:37-38 - Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. /Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” When Jesus gave this instruction, He expected that the very people who said this prayer would also be the very workers who went out into the harvest field. This is why those same disciples He told went into the world and preached the gospel. And those they taught did the same. We can't ignore the Biblical precedent and the very word of our Savior.
You and I are those workers. We, who believe in Christ and strive to obey His instructions. Christians are to spread the gospel so it reaches the ends of the earth and thereby reaps a harvest for the Lord. This is one way that we can be productive branches on the vine, bearing fruit for God in His vineyard. Take some time to fast and pray, ask the Lord to show you how to serve Him. Tell Him, "Here I am. Send me!" just as Isaiah did in Isaiah 6:8. He will help you.
If you think it's too much work, don't be discouraged. Remember that God has a way of making the impossible possible (Matthew 19:26). Just give Him your unreserved yes. If you are afraid, pray for courage, and He will give it to you. Moses worried that nobody would listen to him, and God told him that He'd make him like a god to the Egyptians. And this He did. Moses, a man with faltering speech who could have been a stutterer, did amazing things with nothing but a shepherd's stick. All because the Lord backed him up.
Our obedience will have heaven providing all that is needed when we apply Matthew 6:33 and seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Please don't miss out on this chance to see what God will do with you and through you. Be an Ananias to whom God calls you to help. The Lord bless you as you do!
PS: the Ananias that is the subject of today's post is not the same Ananias who was married to Sapphira. That man was part of the church in Jerusalem and lost his life for trying to deceive and lie to the Holy Spirit. Learn more about him and his wife here.
As you await fellowship at Noon EST, consider reading the Altar Call below and the following previous P&P messages:
