Prayer, Scripture, then Common Sense

This exploration of Acts chapter 1 invites us into a pivotal moment in the early church—the space between Jesus' ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit. We encounter the eleven disciples facing their first major decision without Jesus physically present. The text shows us that the disciples didn't just pray once and move on; they prayed constantly, together, creating a posture of continual openness to God's voice. But prayer wasn't their only tool—they also immersed themselves in Scripture, with Peter discovering prophecies about Judas written a thousand years earlier in the Psalms. What's remarkable is how they balanced spiritual disciplines with practical wisdom, using common sense sanctified by prayer and Scripture. When they needed to replace Judas, they didn't rely on popularity or personal preference but sought God's will even in the method of selection. This passage challenges us to examine our own decision-making: Are we skipping straight to common sense without the foundation of prayer and God's Word? Are we so paralyzed by fear of making the wrong choice that we never move forward at all? The beautiful truth here is that God journeys with us even through wrong turns, that changing course isn't failure but often exactly what God desires, and that we're called to be people who actually act on what God reveals rather than endlessly waiting for certainty.