LORD, WHAT WILT THOU HAVE ME TO DO?

Here is the first prayer of a new convert. Paul settled the matter of his life-service at the same time as he settled the question of the salvation of his soul.

His conversion had been remarkable. Since the death of Stephen, he had been the arch-persecutor of the Christians, but he had also been struggling with a troubled conscience, kicking against the goads of conviction. Both outwardly and inwardly this was a restless, unhappy man until the light of the glory of a risen Christ dawned upon him on the Damascus road. It was a moment of revelation and recognition of the Jesus whom he had been persecuting. Saul had thought Him to be dead, but not so. He was alive and in the glory, and He had marked out this persecutor and blasphemer to be a chosen vessel for His service. In Saul’s brief prayer there are enshrined some important principles for guidance.

‘Lord’, he exclaims. We must acknowledge the lordship of a Saviour who must be Lord of all! If we are sincere in our quest for guidance then it is imperative that we are asking for His glory, and that we are fully yielded to Him as Lord of our lives.

‘Lord, what’. We must accept His choice. God’s plans for us may not always be what we would have chosen but when we ask, ‘what?’, we must be willing to accept His answer. We can, of course, rest assured that His choice is always best.

‘Lord, what wilt thou’. We must abandon selfish motives. Those who ask sincerely will not consider any personal ambitions or desires. Saul is bowed down and humbled; blind and broken - desiring only the will of God.

‘Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?’. We must attempt whatever He asks. There must be a willingness to try. We may sometimes feel that He desires more from us than we are able to do, but in His strength, we must trust and act when He shows us the way.

May we then sincerely acknowledge His lordship, accept His choice, abandon selfish motives, and attempt whatever He asks. This is Saul’s first prayer.