Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– William Booth
What are 4 ways that we should work as if everything depended on it but pray as if everything depended upon it?
Work with all your Might
Paul wrote to the Colossian church that “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Col 3:23) because we don’t really work for man…ultimately we work for God and God expects us to give it all we’ve got so that unbelievers might see us giving our employers their due for what they pay us for it. We would do well to heed Solomon’s wise words, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” (Eccl 9:10).
Serve with all your Might
When we serve one another, whether it is in the church our out in the world, we must “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people” (Eph 6:7). Again, we serve not out of selfish motives for personal gain but we serve “as if [we] were serving the Lord” and “not people” because we are. God expects us to give our best because He gave His only Son and we should be eternally grateful and should feel compelled to serve Him and His church out of a sense of gratitude and thankfulness.
Build with all your Might
When some of the Jews returned to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, they were attacked and many tried to discourage them. When these Jewish refugees saw all of the work that had to be done, they were ready to quit before they had even started but Ezra kept encouraging them and in only 52 days, they had done it (Neh 6:15-16). I find it very interesting that the psalmist wrote that “Sacrifice gives you no pleasure…my sacrifice is this broken spirit…show your favor graciously to Zion, rebuild the walls of Jerusalem; then there will be proper sacrifice to please you…” (Ps.51:16-19).
Pray with all your Might
Who prayed more than Jesus Christ? Who’s prayers were so intense that they sweat great drops of blood like Jesus did (Luke 22:44)? No one prayed like Jesus but we can see Jesus’ own model of prayer in His earthly ministry and try to follow His example. When the disciples came up to Jesus they didn’t ask Him, “Lord, teach us how to preach, Lord teach us how to heal,” or “Lord teach us how to witness” but they did ask Him, “Lord, teach us how to pray” (Luke 11:1). That’s because the disciples saw much Jesus was a Man of prayer. James wrote “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit” (James 5:16b-18). Pray in faith and expect God to answer your prayer because the same God Who answered Elijah’s prayer is the same God Who we pray too.
Conclusion
Work as if everything depended on it but pray as if everything does. Build with all your might, work with all your might, serve with all your might and pray with all fervency so that you pray in a way that everything depends on it, because it does.
