Signing Up For The Great Adventure
OPENING PRAYER:
Lord, thank You for the adventure of following You, even when it doesn't go the way I expect. Open my heart today to wherever You want to lead. Amen.
“Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia,[a] but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.
That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us!’ So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.
We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we landed at Neapolis. From there we reached Philippi, a major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we stayed there several days.
On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. She and her household were baptized, and she asked us to be her guests. ‘If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,’ she said, ‘come and stay at my home.’ And she urged us until we agreed.”
Acts 16:6-15 (NLT)
REFLECT:
Paul had a clear mission and a strategic plan: take the gospel throughout Asia. But the Holy Spirit blocked his way—closing doors that made perfect sense. Then came the midnight vision—a call that would send him not east, but west, bringing the gospel to Europe for the very first time. Paul's willingness to follow God's unexpected redirections led him to Lydia, a businesswoman whose conversion planted the seeds for the first European church. Paul couldn't have scripted it. And that's exactly what made it an adventure.
Lee Strobel observes, "I've never heard anyone complain by saying, 'My spiritual life is so dry right now,' and then add, 'Oh, by the way, I'm actively trying to reach a friend for Christ.'" There is a direct connection between spiritual vitality and evangelistic engagement. When we align our lives with the Great Commission, we find ourselves caught up in the greatest adventure story ever told.
One of the greatest thrills of living on mission is the adventure of divine appointments—those God-orchestrated encounters we could never arrange ourselves. Strobel once shared his faith with a coworker who wasn't interested—but a man tiling the floor behind a desk heard every word. Years later, that man approached Strobel: "My wife, my teenage son, and I all came to faith in Christ. I just wanted to thank you." What if Strobel had ignored the Holy Spirit's nudge?
Why do many Christians hesitate to embrace this adventure? Fear of failure. Comfort addiction. Misplaced priorities. But faithfulness in evangelism is not measured by outcomes—it's measured by obedience. That means if you share Jesus, you can't fail.
Ordinary commutes can become divine appointments. Regular conversations can open doors to eternal impact. Predictable days can be transformed by holy interruptions. Christians who align their lives with the Great Commission experience the deepest kind of joy with God.
APPLY:
PRAY FOR YOUR ONE
- 1. Ask God to give you a sense of expectation this week—to help you approach your daily routine as a potential divine appointment.
- 2. Pray for the Holy Spirit to nudge you toward your One at a specific moment this week—and for the courage to respond when He does.
- 3. Ask God to remove any fear of failure from your heart. Ask Him to help you see obedience as success, regardless of the outcome.
CLOSING PRAYER:
God, thank You for inviting me into the adventure of Your mission. Forgive me for settling for predictability when You've offered me divine surprises. Help me recognize Your redirections, give me courage to follow Your Spirit's nudges, and open my eyes to the divine appointments around me. I want to experience the thrill of being used by You to impact eternity. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
PRAYER REQUEST:
Share your prayer request and pray for others.