30 Days - Day 21

Day 21

Acts 10:9-15

9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”
15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

Just as Cornelius yesterday, today Peter also goes to prayer. Peter has been traveling through all parts of the country preaching and has stopped in Joppa. He finds himself in Joppa because of an untimely death that God uses for His purpose. Peter goes up on the roof top to pray. We are told that it is the sixth hour. This was around noon and also a traditional time of prayer. It is during this time that Peter also sees a vision. It is a vision that he doesn’t immediately understand though God will quickly reveal its meaning and purpose.

It is interesting to note that in both of these cases, Peter and Cornelius are going to prayer at regular times. It was their practice to devote themselves to these hours of prayer and seek God’s face. I am sure that they both had many things on their minds and many things to pray about. No doubt there was much business of the kingdom that needed to be discussed, yet as we look at these two times of prayer it is interesting to note that it is God that seems to do all the talking. God comes to these two men with messages important to them and to His will concerning them and the kingdom. God speaks and they listen.

How often is it that we go to prayer with our own list of items to pray about. We know it is and should be so much more than that. But, so often prayer becomes a time of requests and concerns, and often those requests and concerns are more ours than God’s. Don’t get me wrong. God is interested in all the details of our lives and wants to hear about the things dear to our hearts, but He also has things that are the passion of His heart. The question then becomes “how ready are we to listen to His heart?” How concerned are we with the things that that God is concerned about? How ready are we to break off our asking and give God opportunity to speak and direct?

Even Peter here shows some resistance. It is not that He doesn’t want God to speak. It is simply that what he is seeing doesn’t match with what his learning, tradition and experience. Perhaps he thinks it is a test of his devotion. Perhaps he thinks that he must misunderstand something God is saying. Perhaps he is testing the spirits to see if they come from God. Perhaps he is resistant to what he doesn’t understand. In fact, during the prayer her never actually does what it is that God commands. Still just after prayer we see that it did not take him a long time to accept what it was that God had shown him and be faithful to obey.

As we enter into a conversation with God in prayer we must be careful to be ready to listen as well as speak. Ecclesiastes 5 warns us:

1 Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.
2 Do not be rash with your mouth,
And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.
For God is in heaven, and you on earth;
Therefore let your words be few.

God speaks, and He wants to speak to us. Are we ready to listen to Him?

Prayer Requests Day 21

1) Opportunities & Open Doors to proclaim the gospel - open hearts, willing & interested listeners, prepared people
2) Calvary Chapel Celje - for all aspects of their worship & service - leaders, worship service, preaching of the Word, children's ministry, fellowship, men and women's mid-week Bible studies, Retirement Home ministry, Upcoming New Hope outreach, Summer English camps, direction in seeking a new meeting place
3) Yvonne - giving 5 min testimony in another Church today - wisdom & words