Acts 6:6

whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands upon them.

'WHEN THEY HAD PRAYED'-We often find prayer occupying an essential part when people are being placed into an area of service (Luke 6:12; Acts 1:24; Acts 13:3).

'LAID THEIR HANDS UPON THEM'-In other places hands are laid upon individuals to set them apart for. work, i.e. to express approval in the person being selected (Acts 13:3). That is definitely involved in this case, but this laying on of hands also included the impartation of spiritual gifts (Acts 6:8; Acts 8:18).

Stott notes:

'We have now seen the three tactics which the devil employed in his overall strategy to destroy the church. First, he tried through the Jewish authorities to suppress it by force; secondly through the married couple Ananias and Sapphira to corrupt it by hypocrisy; and thirdly through some squabbling widows to distract its leadership from prayer and preaching, and so expose it to error and evil.' (p. 124)

Thus we find some things which stop congregations today. Fear and intimidation. Worldliness, hypocrisy, half-hearted devotion. And complaining among themselves.