Daily devotion – Sunday afternoons
Helen and I have been in the ministry now for some 43 years. In that time, every Sunday after a service, there is always a moment when our hearts pour out to the Lord. While many people listen to the Word of God, if even one person is not touched by it, we find ourselves kneeling before God and praying for souls to be saved next week.
Although we are fully aware of God’s sovereign rule and the fact that each individual has a choice in how they respond to God’s Word, we earnestly pray for God to touch every heart the next time we preach the Gospel.
As I read God’s precious Word, I am reminded that the Lord desires all to come to know His grace and forgiveness. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 says, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” And in 2 Peter 3:9, we read, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Sunday afternoons for preachers of God’s Word are always filled with prayers, asking God to touch people’s hearts, especially as we look forward to the week ahead. We know that, as teachers of the Word, our role is to plant and water the seeds of faith, but it is God alone who brings the growth.
1 Corinthians 3:6-7 reminds us of this: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”
The Apostle Paul captures the emotions of a preacher of the Gospel very clearly in 1 Corinthians 9:16: “For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!”
So, we return once again to God’s Word and our studies, seeking His wisdom and direction, knowing that soon we will be back behind the pulpit. Our prayer remains, “Lord, touch people’s lives through the teaching of Your Word. May they hear Your voice and turn their hearts to You. This we pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”