Scripture Union Daily Guide 2 October 2021 Saturday Message
Topic: The Great Encounter
Opening Prayer: Lord, let the light of your word shine into my life as I meditate on your word.
Scripture: Acts 9: 1-9
Question(s) for Reflection
• What is God revealing to me in this passage?
Read vs.1-2 again. You remember Saul’s role in the killing of Stephen (Act 7:58, 8:1) and other disciples (Act 8:3)? Imagine that you were a member of the early Church and going through the havoc and precarious situation that Saul was causing the new and upcoming group, how would you feel? What kind of prayer would people generally be tempted to pray for him?
Notice the two striking questions Saul asked Jesus in vs.5 & 6. The first has to do with knowing the person of Jesus personally while the second has to do with what we can do for the Lord. As believers, we often become so angry with people who persecute the church albeit, out of ignorance, forgetting that we too lived in ignorance, maybe of a different kind in the past.
Check out how Paul described his own actions later in 1 Timothy 1:12-17. He thought he was zealously serving God when he was killing believers (Philippians 3:6) as many are still doing today. How should this help us deal with and pray for unbelievers, the Boko Harams and Al Shababs of our day? See Matt. 5: 44; Rom. 12: 14.
Every believer in Christ has a testimony of encounter with the living Christ leading up to salvation. It may not be as dramatic as Saul’s, but it is no less definite and effective. Salvation begins at the point we see ourselves as terrible sinners.
Practice/Word Application
• To ponder over: Read and meditate on 1 Timothy 1:13.
• Any new insight or reinforcement of what you already know?
Closing Prayer
• Lord, help me understand that sinners are living in ignorance and give me the heart to relate with them accordingly and pray for them with compassion.
• Thank God in anticipation of the dawn of a productive and happy week.
Prayer for the week
Pray for the Christian teachers that they will truly represent God in their various schools, that through them, the love of God will be experienced to the point of salvation by the children and youths they are teaching. Pray for Association of Christian Schools.
Offer a prayer of faith in line with Psalm 34:17-18; Ezek. 30-32; John 15
Scripture Union Daily Guide 2 October 2021. Scripture Union is an international, inter-denominational, evangelical Christian organization. It was founded in 1867, and works in partnership with individuals and churches across the world. The organization’s stated aim is to use the Bible to inspire children, young people and adults to know God