And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
The believers prayed to the Lord who knows the hearts of all people to show which of the two men He had chosen to take Judas's place in the ministry and apostleship. Although both candidates appeared worthy, the disciples recognized their own judgment was imperfect and could not discern hidden character and the secret motives of the heart. In answer to the prayer the Spirit of God selected Matthias for the office. Selection for responsibility is to be brought before God in united, earnest prayer, seeking His direction and choice rather than relying on human judgment, plans, or authority alone. He is the proper judge of fitness for service because His eyes read the hidden secrets of every heart and He knows who is willing to obey and serve, and He has certain men for certain positions who must be accepted and supported when He gives them.
Setting and Meaning
The prayer was offered by the believers to the Lord as the One who knows the hearts of all people, asking Him to show which of two men He had chosen to take the place left by Judas in the ministry and apostleship. The two candidates were known and both appeared worthy, yet the choice was not settled by human judgment or authority but was brought to God for His direction. United earnest prayer together was the way the workers sought God in carrying the work forward, trusting His knowledge of every heart and His right to choose.
Their own judgment was recognized as imperfect, unable to discern hidden character and the secret motives of the heart. Although the disciples knew the men, they did not dare to risk their imperfect discernment but made the selection a solemn subject of prayer for God to indicate His choice by His Spirit. God’s eyes read the hidden secrets of every heart, so He alone was regarded as the proper judge of fitness for service. For that reason the matter of choosing ministers was treated as solemn, requiring much prayer and careful consideration of suitability rather than hasty or reckless advancement.
In answer to that prayer the Spirit of God selected Matthias for the office as the one suited to fill Judas’s place as an apostle. The decision was thus entrusted to God rather than to human preference, and Matthias was identified as the man chosen.
The verse belongs to the history of the early church in and just after the day of Pentecost, and careful study of that history refreshes the mind and instructs in the truth. Its chapter is linked with Christ’s commission to His disciples, the promise of the Holy Spirit, and the angels’ message to the waiting disciples. The experience recorded there, together with the experiences of Paul and the other apostles in Acts, is one God’s people in the present day must pass through in similar form.
As part of the book of Acts, the verse stands in a lesson book for believers, showing the disciples seeking God’s direction and recognizing that He knows every person’s heart and can reveal whom He has chosen. The chapter teaches lessons about setting things in order, and those lessons apply to organizing special work and choosing workers. The apostles’ example in putting matters in order and choosing a worker for the work ahead is therefore instruction for present order and selection.
Choosing Workers Prayerfully
Selection for responsibility is to be brought before God in united, earnest prayer, asking the Lord who knows every heart to reveal His direction and His choice between candidates to fill a vacant place in ministry and apostleship. The prayer seeks God's knowledge and choice rather than leaning on human judgment, human plans, or human authority alone, trusting the decision to Him. God is the proper judge of fitness for service because His eyes read the hidden secrets of every heart and discern inner character and secret motives that human judgment cannot see. That heart-knowledge includes knowing who is willing to obey and serve.
God has certain men for certain positions, and His people must move carefully and make wise choice of men who will not betray sacred trusts. Every case is to be presented before God in earnest prayer asking Him to choose and to provide the people best suited to help, and then those He gives are to be accepted and supported rather than chosen according to human plans. Choosing people for important service requires careful consideration of suitability and must not be done hastily or recklessly. Putting forward those who are not capable or rushing unfitted men into ministry burdens the church and injures and harms God's work.
If believers in Christ's day needed to be guarded in choosing men for positions of responsibility, those living in this time need to move with even greater discretion, with greater care and much prayer in selecting ministers instead of advancing unfitted men recklessly. The Lord who knows every heart and chooses whom He will appoint also trains and equips His ministers for the work. He chose humble, faithful men and trained them rather than educated and respected people who lacked courage to confess Him, and He gives His chosen the words they should speak, at the right time and with power.
Trusting God's Heart Knowledge
God knows every person's heart, and He alone knows a sick person's past and future. He alone can foresee whether recovery would lead that person to honor Him or to turn away from Him. Prayer for healing should therefore ask Him to raise the sufferer up if it accords with His will, trusting His wisdom rather than demanding recovery.
The Lord knows every heart, including hidden selfish motives that others cannot see. Circumstances can be allowed to test people so that their true character is revealed. Because He knows the hearts of all, believers are to seek Him earnestly and be free from selfish purposes. Those who faithfully represent the life and character of Christ will be blessed abundantly.
The Lord understands the working of every human heart and is to be trusted now and always. Every soul is to be under His control, led and governed by His will. This takes place through reconversion, reconsecration to His service, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Because He is soon to come, workers are to arouse with energy to the work before them, letting truth go forth as a lamp that burns.
The believers prayed to the Lord who knows the hearts of all people to show which of the two men He had chosen to take Judas's place in the ministry and apostleship. Although both candidates appeared worthy, the disciples recognized their own judgment was imperfect and could not discern hidden character and the secret motives of the heart. In answer to the prayer the Spirit of God selected Matthias for the office. Selection for responsibility is to be brought before God in united, earnest prayer, seeking His direction and choice rather than relying on human judgment, plans, or authority alone. He is the proper judge of fitness for service because His eyes read the hidden secrets of every heart and He knows who is willing to obey and serve, and He has certain men for certain positions who must be accepted and supported when He gives them.
Setting and Meaning
The prayer was offered by the believers to the Lord as the One who knows the hearts of all people, asking Him to show which of two men He had chosen to take the place left by Judas in the ministry and apostleship. The two candidates were known and both appeared worthy, yet the choice was not settled by human judgment or authority but was brought to God for His direction. United earnest prayer together was the way the workers sought God in carrying the work forward, trusting His knowledge of every heart and His right to choose.
Their own judgment was recognized as imperfect, unable to discern hidden character and the secret motives of the heart. Although the disciples knew the men, they did not dare to risk their imperfect discernment but made the selection a solemn subject of prayer for God to indicate His choice by His Spirit. God’s eyes read the hidden secrets of every heart, so He alone was regarded as the proper judge of fitness for service. For that reason the matter of choosing ministers was treated as solemn, requiring much prayer and careful consideration of suitability rather than hasty or reckless advancement.
In answer to that prayer the Spirit of God selected Matthias for the office as the one suited to fill Judas’s place as an apostle. The decision was thus entrusted to God rather than to human preference, and Matthias was identified as the man chosen.
The verse belongs to the history of the early church in and just after the day of Pentecost, and careful study of that history refreshes the mind and instructs in the truth. Its chapter is linked with Christ’s commission to His disciples, the promise of the Holy Spirit, and the angels’ message to the waiting disciples. The experience recorded there, together with the experiences of Paul and the other apostles in Acts, is one God’s people in the present day must pass through in similar form.
As part of the book of Acts, the verse stands in a lesson book for believers, showing the disciples seeking God’s direction and recognizing that He knows every person’s heart and can reveal whom He has chosen. The chapter teaches lessons about setting things in order, and those lessons apply to organizing special work and choosing workers. The apostles’ example in putting matters in order and choosing a worker for the work ahead is therefore instruction for present order and selection.
Choosing Workers Prayerfully
Selection for responsibility is to be brought before God in united, earnest prayer, asking the Lord who knows every heart to reveal His direction and His choice between candidates to fill a vacant place in ministry and apostleship. The prayer seeks God's knowledge and choice rather than leaning on human judgment, human plans, or human authority alone, trusting the decision to Him. God is the proper judge of fitness for service because His eyes read the hidden secrets of every heart and discern inner character and secret motives that human judgment cannot see. That heart-knowledge includes knowing who is willing to obey and serve.
God has certain men for certain positions, and His people must move carefully and make wise choice of men who will not betray sacred trusts. Every case is to be presented before God in earnest prayer asking Him to choose and to provide the people best suited to help, and then those He gives are to be accepted and supported rather than chosen according to human plans. Choosing people for important service requires careful consideration of suitability and must not be done hastily or recklessly. Putting forward those who are not capable or rushing unfitted men into ministry burdens the church and injures and harms God's work.
If believers in Christ's day needed to be guarded in choosing men for positions of responsibility, those living in this time need to move with even greater discretion, with greater care and much prayer in selecting ministers instead of advancing unfitted men recklessly. The Lord who knows every heart and chooses whom He will appoint also trains and equips His ministers for the work. He chose humble, faithful men and trained them rather than educated and respected people who lacked courage to confess Him, and He gives His chosen the words they should speak, at the right time and with power.
Trusting God's Heart Knowledge
God knows every person's heart, and He alone knows a sick person's past and future. He alone can foresee whether recovery would lead that person to honor Him or to turn away from Him. Prayer for healing should therefore ask Him to raise the sufferer up if it accords with His will, trusting His wisdom rather than demanding recovery.
The Lord knows every heart, including hidden selfish motives that others cannot see. Circumstances can be allowed to test people so that their true character is revealed. Because He knows the hearts of all, believers are to seek Him earnestly and be free from selfish purposes. Those who faithfully represent the life and character of Christ will be blessed abundantly.
The Lord understands the working of every human heart and is to be trusted now and always. Every soul is to be under His control, led and governed by His will. This takes place through reconversion, reconsecration to His service, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Because He is soon to come, workers are to arouse with energy to the work before them, letting truth go forth as a lamp that burns.