The Apostle Paul didn’t see life as breath to breath or day to day.  He saw a race, and he intended to finish it.

Are you a finisher or a plain liver … just surviving from moment to moment with a focus on your well-being?

Take Paul’s example and allow the Spirit of God to give you tasks worth living for.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, You have been so good to us.  We give our lives to Your tasks today, and we want to be “Finishers” by Your grace.

DAILY READING:  Acts 19,20

The Apostle Paul’s habit of practice was to go to the local synagogue to share Christ.  Luke, the writer of Acts, obviously knew of the “custom,’  and thereby referred to it in Acts 17.

If an account was given of your life, could it be said faithful church attendance was your “custom?”  This healthy habit should be modeled and taught to our children so as to establish it in their lives.  It’s an gift of godliness we can share with them.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, grace us to be faithful church attenders so as to establish a pattern of good works for our families to follow.

DAILY READING:  Acts 17,18

“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us,” was a phrase used to describe the consensus reached by the assembly of elders in the early church who gathered to discuss doctrinal issues that would affect the newly converted Gentile element.  Both the leading of the Holy Spirit and the opinion of these men of God lined up in harmony.

Hence, we have a valid scriptural method of discerning God’s will in matters.  Find someone whose walk with the Lord you trust, pray together, and search for an agreement to determine your course of action.  Have faith in God.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, I believe You desire to have me walk in Your will.  I trust Your Holy Spirit to guide me and I realize that I need other members of the Body of Christ sharing my quest for Your best today.

DAILY READING:  Acts 15,16

Luke records Paul’s address to the church at Antioch where he refers to King David by describing him as a man after God’s own heart; that he would do everything God wanted him to do.

Could that be said about you … that you could be counted upon to do what God wanted?

We all need the heart of David.

DAILY PRAYER;  Lord, give me the heart of David whom you knew would desire to do Your will concerning everything.  Today, I will seek Your direction on every issue.

DAILY READING:  Acts 13,14

Cornelius, the Roman centurion from Caesarea, was a “Devout and God-fearing  man; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.”  The beauty and quality of his life made an impression in heaven, so much that God sent an angel to him, instructing him to call for Peter to come and minister to him.  It was entirely orchestrated by heaven.

You may not think the Lord notices the things you do for others.  He does.  Keep it up.  You are impacting His Kingdom.

DAILY PRAYER;  Lord, use my humble gestures to build Your Kingdom as You did the centurion’s.  The lives around me need the touch of Your power.

DAILY READING:  Acts 10-12

Saul of Tarsus persecuted the early church, even going from house to house to find Christians to put them in prison.  He talked of murdering the disciples, and thought he was doing the right thing.

While on a mission to Damascus to do the same, he was miraculously confronted by a light from heaven and struck blind.  The Lord Himself spoke to him in a way that would transform his life.

After being healed and taught by disciples in Damascus, he began boldly preaching in the synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God.

The Holy Spirit orchestrated this amazing transformation which happened in a matter of days, and gave us one of God’s greatest champions.

Believe the Lord right now for similar miracles.  He is able.

DAILY PRAYER:  Father, forgive us for doubting Your power.  We will actively pray for those who persecute us.  We believe You above all else.

DAILY READING:  Acts 8,9

As Stephen was being stoned to death for upsetting the Sanhedrin by exposing the hypocrisy and religious adversity they demonstrated by crucifying Jesus, he looked up into heaven and saw Jesus at the right hand of God.  He was standing before the authority of men and beheld the Authority of Heaven.  He died at the hand of earthly authority, but was a champion for Heaven’s Authority.

Speaking for God is not always popular, but it needs to be done.

DAILY PRAYER;  Lord, give us Holy Ghost boldness to speak for You today.

DAILY READING:  Acts 6,7

Peter and the disciples displayed amazing boldness when they were called before the religious leaders to be forbidden to teach and heal in the name of Jesus.  Their validation came from seeking to please God rather than fear men.  They were flogged and released when the very wise teacher of the law, Gamaliel, stood and declared that if their movement was of God, it could not be stopped.

Boldly follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as the early disciples did.  Share, pray, believe just like the Spirit-filled followers of Jesus did in the first century.  (Call me and I will bail you out of jail if you get persecuted.)

DAILY PRAYER;  Father in Heaven, fill us with Your Holy Boldness today as You did the early disciples.  We are desperate to see You move today as You did then.

DAILY READING:  Acts 4,5

As Peter addressed his fellow Israelites who were in amazement at the profound miracle that had been performed … the lame beggar “walking and leaping and praising God” …he described the impact Christ should have upon their lives with this phrase, “Times of refreshing.”

Christ’s presence in our lives makes this abundant way of living possible.  The same key today will open the door to a miracle lifestyle: it is in Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him.

Let the times of refreshing happen today.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, I want to walk in the refreshing available through the name of Jesus and the faith He gives.

DAILY READING:  Acts 1-3

Jesus always knew where to go to work the works of the Father in Heaven.  It’s still true today.  In the same way that His disciples heard His voice with their natural ears, we can hear His voice with our spiritual ears, leading us to also do the works of the Heavenly Father.

In the context of His invitation to follow Him, He had just challenged Peter to take care of His lambs and sheep.  The will of God concerns people.  They are to be the object of our love and care, not material items of this world.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, help us, like Peter, to put our focus on the precious lives of the people around us.  We want to do the works of the Heavenly Father today.

DAILY READING;  John, 20,21