Unstoppable! 'Seeking God's Will in Prayer' — Acts 1:23-26

Sunday, January 18, 2026

So [the disciples] nominated two men [as a replacement for Judas]: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they all prayed, "O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs." Then they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven.
— Acts 1:23-26 NLT

Key Thought

These early believers trusted in prayer and in the work of God to show them his choice for the correct apostle to replace Judas. They were confident that God would work through this process because they submitted their will to him, and he knew the hearts of the men under consideration. No one politicked behind the scenes to get votes. No person or group had control. The early church placed the choice in the hands of God, and in a process that many of us would not feel comfortable using. God made this choice, not human beings. There was no dispute, so the new movement kept advancing. The process and its openness repaired the hole left by Judas.

Today's Prayer

O Father, give me, give us the confidence to place our decisions, whether small or extremely important, in your hands. Give us the wisdom to choose a decision-making method that keeps us, flawed human beings, from manipulating the choices. May your will, your choice, triumph over our human failings and selfishness. We need you to lead the way, and we commit to follow you, O Lord. Through Jesus, we pray and offer our commitment. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

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2 Related Resources by Heartlight

Better Broken: 11!
Article by Phil Ware
What do you do with the one who is missing? Phil Ware continues his series, Better Broken, focusing on the problem of there being 11 apostles and how people fail us and what are we doing to do to go on after we've been betrayed.
Prayer and Mission
Article by Mark Frost
So if they didn't and couldn't, how dare we? Mark Frost continues the series on discovering your mission before finding your minister with the Interim Ministry Partners team and he focuses on prayer.

Illustration

Illustration of Acts 1:23-26 NLT — So [the disciples] nominated two men [as a replacement for Judas]: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they all prayed, "O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs." Then they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven.

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Sunday, January 18, 2026

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About This Devotional

Unstoppable! is a one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage, a reflection and a prayer. The reflection opens up the day's scripture and shows how it challenges one to live for Jesus.

Unstoppable! is written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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