⁴⁰ “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. ⁴¹ Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

Dear God, I have both accepted and rejected your “prophets” over the years. The trick is trying to discern whether or not they are from you. For example, there is a popular television preacher out there that I have rejected as your prophet. That’s not to say that I would treat him badly if I saw him, or that I wouldn’t give him a drink of water if he needed it, but I absolutely reject his teaching. If I am wrong on him then I have, indeed, rejected anything you might try to say to me through him.

I am also in a situation where I am in a class right now to possibly join a new denomination, and I am trying to reconcile the things that I agree with and the things I don’t agree with. What is important and what isn’t? Where should I draw the line and say, “That is too far,” where should I say, “I disagree, but it isn’t important,” and where should I say, “Hmm, perhaps I should consider rethinking my position”? It can be hard to parse through the different items that make up our theology and figure out where we can come into the truth you want us to know and also come into community with each other, even though we each might understand truth a little differently.

Father, help me to find truth through this process. Help me to discern what you would have me to believe, what you would have to be just accept in an “agree to disagree” kind of way, and what you would have me to reject. If I reject something, help me to do it in love. Even this one preacher that I reject, help me to love him—especially if you consider him to be your prophet and disciple. Speak truth to him. Speak truth to me. Help me to know you more and more.