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#1262. How does the ministry of the word and prayer thrive? (30/4/25)

  • Writer: Matt Beaney
    Matt Beaney
  • Apr 30
  • 6 min read

Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (posted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). Today we begin our new series, Ready and Willing, where we’ll reflect on the life of Philip.


Today, In Acts 6, we see that Philip’s readiness and willingness to serve the church enabled the ministry of others to flourish. 


You can watch this devotional below:



‘In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.’ (Acts 6:1-7) 

1. What is the ministry of prayer and the word?

In Acts 6, the apostles describe their core calling like this:

“It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables… we will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:2,4)

The ministry of prayer and the word was the heart of the apostles' work and remains at the heart - or should remain at the core - of every church. What is this ministry?


Prayer

  • This is about leaders giving intentional time to seek God. They must seek Him for themselves — leaders need to ‘remain in the vine’ if they are to remain fruitful (John 15:5). They also seek God on behalf of the church, interceding for wisdom, protection, and power.

  • This ministry involves seeking God’s guidance to lead the church into His will, rather than relying on human wisdom or strategy.

  • It’s also about drawing the church into a shared life of prayer — in a world of noise and distraction, leaders must keep casting a vision for a praying people.

  • Finally, the ministry of prayer includes meeting with and praying alongside individuals in the church, carrying one another’s burdens before the Lord (Galatians 6:2).


The Word

  • The ministry of the Word begins with leaders themselves giving time to be saturated in God’s Word. Like the flourishing tree in Psalm 1, they need to put down deep roots into Scripture, meditating on it day and night, so that they remain strong, healthy, and fruitful in every season.

  • This ministry also involves preaching the good news of Jesus with clarity and courage, teaching sound doctrine to anchor the church in truth, and meeting with individuals to counsel and disciple them with the wisdom of Scripture.

  • It’s about building a church that isn’t driven by opinion or culture, but one that is shaped, corrected, and nourished by the living Word of God.


These two ministries were inseparable — the word would be powerless without prayer, and prayer would be directionless without the word. Together, they fuelled the life and mission of the early church.


2. Why was it under threat?

However, this vital ministry was under threat. As the church grew rapidly, practical needs increased too. In this case, the daily distribution of food to widows became a point of tension:

“The Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked.” (Acts 6:1)

Without good systems in place, this growing, multicultural community experienced unintentional neglect and division. The apostles were being pulled toward solving these practical problems, and if they took on every task, they would have been distracted from their God-given calling. This would weaken the church in the long run — both spiritually and practically. 

We all experience this tension in different ways; the urgent often pushes out the important. For a church, this leads to decline and fruitlessness.


3. How does the appointment of Philip and others cause this ministry to thrive?

The apostles’ solution was both wise and Spirit-led. It reminds us of Jethro helping Moses to appoint leaders when he was overwhelmed. We read: 

“Choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them.” (Acts 6:3)

Philip and the other six were appointed to this essential work of caring for people practically and fairly. This freed the apostles to stay focused on prayer and the word, while ensuring no one in the church family was left behind. The result?

“So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” (Acts 6:7)

When godly, Spirit-filled people stepped up to serve where needed, the whole church became healthier, stronger, and more fruitful.


4. The part we play will release others to play their part. 

This passage beautifully reminds us that everyone has a part to play in God’s mission. When Philip and the others served faithfully, they released the apostles to keep preaching and praying — and together, the church flourished. In the same way today:

  • When we serve, lead, give, care, pray, and encourage, we’re not just filling a gap — we’re enabling others to thrive in their calling too.

  • Our faithfulness in small or unseen roles has a kingdom impact far beyond what we can see.


Today, Let’s Ask Ourselves:

  • Am I playing my part in the church?

  • How can my faithfulness help others stay focused on what God’s called them to do?

  • Am I willing to serve where needed, to help the whole church thrive?


Let’s Pray Together:

“Lord Jesus, thank You for the ministry of prayer and the word. Help me to play my part faithfully, knowing that what I do matters in Your kingdom. Use my service to release others to follow their calling, and together, may we see Your church grow in health, unity, and effectiveness. Amen.”

Community Group Notes


1. Notices

It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News. 


2. Icebreaker

How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you? 


3. Worship together

Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.


4. Study and pray together


Balanced Time Allocation - Please ensure a balanced focus on discussion, SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite), and prayer so that each section is meaningful and fruitful.


On Sunday, we began our series, 'Ready and Willing?' on the character of Philip from the New Testament. In Acts chapter six, where we first hear of Philip, we see that he was qualified to serve God’s church as one full of the Holy Spirit, wisdom, and faith.


Discussion: 

Please read Acts 6:17 and discuss:

  1. From Acts 6, we reflected on how Readiness + Willingness + Opportunity = Fruitfulness. Why are all of these elements essential?

  2. Why was this time of revival, beginning in Acts 2, under threat?

  3. What plan did they put into practice to keep the church healthy?

  4. How did the service of this group of leaders, including Philip, enable others to do their ministry?

  5. What are the characteristics that made Philip a good choice?

  6. How can you and I grow in these characteristics?



SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite)

  • Mission inspiration from the text - Is there anything from Luke 6-1-7, which teaches and inspires us in our mission and our approach to it? 

  • Share Stories – Have you had any recent experiences of Serving, Investing, or Inviting someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing testimonies of God at work through us. 

  • Practical Next Steps – Who is God putting on your heart to reach? Discuss and pray for those you regularly engage with, including any ‘people of peace’ (* See note) in your life—those open to you and the gospel.


Let’s pray together: 

  • Let’s pray for one another based on our study, and bring before God any other needs or requests for prayer.



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