Sunday, October 08, 2006

When People Pray

Acts 4:23-31
The Believers' Prayer
23On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
" 'Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.[a]'[b] 27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people[c] of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.



Bee's Thoughts:

The power of prayers can be seen today as much as in the time of the Apostles. When believers prayed fervently in faith, things happened. When believers are filled with the Holy Spirit they become bold to share the gospel.

There were many times I experienced God's answers to my prayers almost instantly when I prayed earnestly and in faith. But in most cases, God's answers may not come so fast. When the answers come, they may be "yes", "no" or "wait". In times of waiting, faith, hope, love and obedience are what I need to see me though these periods of silence.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says we are to "pray without ceasing".


Dear Lord,
Thank You for always answering my prayers, be they come instantly or after a long wait, be they "yes", "no" or "wait". Thank You that I am serving a living God whom I can communicate with any moment of my life.
Teach me to continue to pray in every situation and not to lean on my own understandings.
I pray that You grant me wisdom at work, in church and in speaking to people close to me. May I always speak with grace.
In Jesus' anme I pray, Amen.

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