23When he (Barnabas) arrived (in Antioch) and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
My Loving & Encouraging Father,
Your stories motivate me to action! The characters inspire me to exercise the power of my believing faith. Barnabas challenges me to extinguish those attitudes and opinions that dampen others. From his example, I’m compelled to develop the skills of a fine Carpenter – the ability to build up from the rubble of wrecked lives, helping other believers become the beautiful masterpieces You created them to be.
Please fill me with more of your holy goodness and divine power so that I will demonstrate my strong faith by:
- Keeping my eyes wide open to see Your light shining in the darkest situations
- Tuning my ears to attentively listen to the hurts of others
- Using my hands to gently touch a troubled soul
- Confidently communicating Your great love and infinite mercy
I ask that You give me a spirit of discernment to clearly see where You are at work in the church. Like Barnabas, I’ll joyfully work with You to urge my Christian brothers and sisters to remain faithful to You with all their hearts. I pray that the positive changes in the people I’m influencing will shine through like a neon light leading multitudes to the Source.
O that I would be known as a Child of Encouragement, a good person, full of the Holy Spirit and faith who led many people to Your glorious kingdom. Please show me how I can be a Barnabas and build up my church family today. I will gladly set aside my own agenda to help others grow in their faith and knowledge of You for the glory and praise of my Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Who has been a Barnabas to you, encouraging you to grow in faith? Send that person an email or write them a letter telling them the difference they've made in your life.
Because that person cared enough to encourage you, will you pass on the support to another believer by building them up in Jesus Christ?
- Think of someone with a negative perception. Find a way to compliment him or her.
- Use your eyes to look for the good in a bad situation
- Tune your ears to listen attentively to someone’s hurts.
- Touch and heal a broken heart with kindness.
- Tell someone they are loved and special to not only you, but also, more importantly, to the High King of Heaven, God, our Father.
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