08 May 2007 Devotion for Today “Answers to Prayer” Acts 12:11-17

08 May 2007  Devotion for Today  "Answers to Prayer"  Acts 12:11-17

 

As you already know, gas prices are really high again.  It seemed that last fall things were heading in the right direction, and then, towards the end of February, gas prices started edging up again.  They're talking now that it might reach $4.00 a gallon before the end of the summer.  Of course, nobody knows for sure.  The demands for oil in developing countries like India and China have caused the prices to skyrocket, producing an energy crisis the likes of which we have never seen before.  This situation will probably force us to resort to alternative sources of energy.  But I submit to you, however, that the greatest, untapped source of power and energy is the power of prayer in a Christian's life.   There's more about prayer than I have time to give you in one devotion this morning, so I will spread it out over several.  I also know that there seems to be a crisis when it comes to prayer.  We wonder why our churches seem to have so little energy, so little power, impact in our world today- have you come out to prayer meeting lately?  We Baptists can get a crowd out for just about anything.  We can sure get a crowd out for a potluck and a dessert fellowship.  Even when we call a business meeting we can fill the church to overflowing.  We can get wonderful crowds out to song services and hymn fests.   But prayer meeting?  In your typical prayer meeting you will have a handful of people come out and even then you can't get them to pray all that much.  They spend more time talking about the prayer requests- how Aunt Bertha's got a carbuncle on her big toe and Uncle Billy's got gout again.  And I'm not saying that God's not interested in prayers like this, He is.  But frankly  most people are not.  What they're saying by their absence is, "I don't have time to pray.  I don't see the value of prayer.  I don't see how it really changes any thing.  I haven't seen God answer prayers in my own life lately."  If that is the case perhaps you may need to understand what do God's answers to our prayers look like?  It could well be that the answer is right under our noses but we either do not see it, do not recognize it, or do not accept it as God's answer because so often we are looking for what we desire to see, rather than what God is giving us.

 

Here in our text we read about how the Jerusalem church was praying for Peter while He was in prison awaiting execution.   While they were praying, the angels of God entered into that prison and bore Peter out of there.  The newly escaped Peter arrived at the door of the house where the church had gathered to pray.  As he stood there knocking, eagerly anticipating the reunion with his friends, they argued with the servant that it couldn't possibly be Peter.  Haven't you heard.  Peter's in jail.  For all we know, Peter might even be dead! Poor Peter!  After all he had been through, now he was forced to stand outside the locked door while those inside debated whether God had answered their prayers!  When they finally let him in and saw him in the flesh, they were astounded!  Learning to recognize God's answer to our prayers is critical because answered prayer is one of the powerful ways God speaks to us. 

            The truth is, God always responds to our prayers.  The way He does so reveals as much about us and it does about God.  We can become frustrated when we pray for one thing and receive another.  But we would be wise to look beyond God's answer to see His message behind it.

And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people."12 So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. 15 But they said to her, "You are beside yourself!" Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, m"It is his angel."16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren." And he departed and went to another place. Acts 12:11-17

            You know the Bible holds some incredible promises for those who pray.  He may not give us everything that we ask for, but He does give us everything that we need- when we need it.  Jeremiah 33:3  says "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."  Jesus said in Matthew 21:22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."   Jesus said in Luke 11:9 So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.   In John 15:7 He also says:  If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  God tells us that He will give us the desires of our heart.  That means that we are walking so closely with Christ that the desires of our hearts are the things that God desires to do most in us.  For you pray in the name of or according to the character of Jesus, you ask for things that are on God's heart and consistent with His nature.  When we ask for something in Jesus' name it is not simply just to tack on that phrase at the end of a prayer.  It is asking that God accomplish His hearts desire in You. 

            Don't think that God wants to immediately dismiss you because He does not wish to be bothered by You.  God loves us, and desires to say Yes to our requests.  May He say Yes to you today.

            Have a blessed day!

 

 

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

jcrussell@liberty.edu

 

Church website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
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