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Fervently

Kneel Day 13 Surprising Answers

January 19, 2022 by Lesley Crawford 7 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 12:1-19
2 Kings 20:1-7
Isaiah 55:8-9
Matthew 7:7-11
James 5:13-18

Kneel, Day 13

Have you ever been surprised by an answer to prayer?

The people praying for Peter in this account from Acts certainly were!

Peter has been imprisoned for following Jesus, and as he waits for his public trial after the Passover celebration, the church is “praying fervently to God for him.” (Acts 12:5)

They are under no illusions about how the situation is likely to end for Peter. Herod Agrippa recently had the apostle James killed with a sword, and seeing the Jews’ resulting pleasure, has prompted Peter’s arrest. (Acts 12:1-2)

The church knows it is a matter of life and death, and so they pray desperately. Different translations of Acts 12:5 describe their prayers as constant, intense, earnest, persistent, continual, and without ceasing. This is prayer that is intentional and focused.

Consequently, God intervenes in a miraculous way. Awakened by an angel, Peter is told to get up. His chains fall off, the prison gates open, and the guards meant to be watching him closely seem oblivious!

The events are so unexpected that even Peter struggles to believe at first, but finally the truth sinks in.

“Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from all that the Jewish people expected.” (Acts 12:11)

Immediately, he goes to the house where he knows the believers have gathered to pray, which leads to a rather comical scene. Rhoda, the servant girl who answers the door, is so overwhelmed and overjoyed to hear Peter’s voice that instead of letting him in she rushes to tell the others, only to be met with astonishment and unbelief!

As they argue about whether or not it could possibly be true, the answer to their prayer is standing outside the door the whole time!

Finally, they let Peter in to see for themselves and hear his story, but it raises the question: if they were praying so fervently, so passionately, so continually, why were they so surprised when their prayer was answered?

I think I’ve gained insight into this over the last six months as I, and several others, have prayed earnestly and continually for a friend’s husband who is unwell. There has been so much prayer that my friend says her husband must be the most prayed-for man in the world!

Yet, despite our many prayers, he has deteriorated. His condition has been declared inoperable and, humanly speaking, it is only a matter of time.

We continue to pray for a miracle, yet I admit I would be surprised if my friend’s husband suddenly appeared at my door cured of his illness.

I don’t doubt for a moment that God can do it. I just have no idea whether He will.

I imagine the believers praying for Peter had similar thoughts. After all, James had been killed. Would praying for Peter really make any difference?

Yet, despite their uncertainty, they prayed; this act itself evidenced their faith, imperfect as it was.

They prayed because they knew they were helpless to fix the situation; they knew it was something only God could do. While their prayers may not have been rooted in perfect faith, God heard, and He answered.

As James writes, “The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.” (James 5:16)

The difficulty we often have with prayer is that it’s unpredictable. It doesn’t work according to a formula. It’s not about how much we pray or trying to find the magic phrase or perfect combination of words to unlock the miracle or the answer we seek.

In fact, it’s not about the quality of our prayers at all; it’s about the One to whom we are praying.

If our prayers are answered as we hope, as in Peter’s situation or when God healed Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:1-7), we rejoice and give thanks to God. Only He can do the impossible, and there is no credit we can take. The glory is His!

When our prayers are not answered as we hope, it doesn’t mean our prayers were lacking in flawless faith or that God doesn’t care. It doesn’t even mean our prayers are unanswered, simply that God’s purpose is different.

“’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.’ This is the Lord’s declaration.” (Isaiah 55:8)

We can’t always understand God’s ways, but we can trust in His goodness. My friend’s husband may not be healed on earth, but we know that, because of his faith in Jesus, an eternal future awaits him, free from pain and suffering. In the meantime, we continue to pray.

Jesus urged His disciples to persistently keep on praying and trusting God’s character as a loving Father who longs to give good gifts to His children. (Matthew 7) Likewise, He invites us to partner with Him in His work, bringing our situations before Him with faith and confidence, trusting in His power and love, and confidently knowing He loves to hear and answer us.

Sometimes, as with those believers praying for Peter, the answers to our prayers can be even more amazing than we would ever have expected!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Kneel Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
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Posted in: Character, church, Faith, God, Hope, Jesus, Life, Prayer, Trust Tagged: Answers, constant, death, Fervently, goodness, kneel, miraculous, Persistent, Surprising

Anchored Day 15 Prayer Wrestlers

March 8, 2019 by Sarah Young 3 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

Colossians 4:7-18
James 5:13-18
1 Peter 4:7-10
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Ephesians 6:13-20

Anchored, Day 15

Tychicus

Onesimus

Epaphras

Archippus

Nympha

I’m going to guess that NONE of these names appear in the top 100 for baby names of 2018, or the past 5 centuries for that matter.
However, these 4 men and 1 woman are included in a much more important list,
one that hasn’t changed for thousands of years despite the changing trends of the times.

Don’t feel bad if you can’t pronounce their names.  I can’t either.
In fact, I’m embarrassed to admit, I often glaze over name lists because they don’t mean much to me without a personal connection.
But Paul had that connection.
And he loved them.
Deeply.

These were his brothers and sisters in Christ, his family.
These were partners with him in spreading the gospel, encouraging other believers, and building the first century church.
THEY were foundational to OUR faith today.

As I prepared for this Journey Study, something in the description stuck out to me BIG time:
What if our prayers were being used by God to sustain our pastors, church leaders, and families around us?

What if MY prayers were essential to the work God is doing in and through my
church, neighborhood, family?!

Talk about conviction!!!
Am I praying like MY prayers matter?

Am I getting on my knees daily,
praying fervently and earnestly for my
pastor,
children’s teachers at school,
neighbor down the street who has battled cancer,
pregnant sister-in-law?

Or….
Am I so caught up in making supper, doing laundry, cleaning up messes, and managing life I get distracted (read lazy) in my prayers?
And because of my ho-hum approach to prayer,
what if OTHER people’s lives are being affected?
NEGATIVELY?

Paul ends his letter to the church in Colossae with a list of people who have partnered with him in ministry.
They have encouraged him personally,
prayed fervently and intentionally for other believers,
opened their homes to host church,
traveled far distances to deliver letters,
and risked their lives for the sake of Jesus.

We all know about Paul, world-famous-preacher.
Authored over half of the New Testament.
Traveled abroad establishing churches across ancient Asia.
Discipled new believers, training them to lead churches.
Paul’s work is foundational to OUR faith today, his legacy spans millennia past and future.

BUT….
His work was IMPOSSIBLE without the Spirit of God using faithful men and women of the church, their SUPPORT, their SACRIFICE, and their PRAYERS.

Paul intentionally named those who served with him, purposefully making their stories and sacrifices known.

Instead of skimming these lists, what if we slowed,
taking time to remember these men and women of faith?!

Suppose we put OURSELVES in their shoes?
Suppose we recognized God putting these people in Paul’s life, partnering with him to grow the church and altering its entire future?
Suppose He is putting US in specific places at specific times for SPECIFIC reasons to ALSO grow the church and alter its future?!!

What if, like Tychicus, we “encourage the hearts” of those around us?

What if, like Onesimus. we share with our fellow believers the activity of God in our churches, neighborhoods, schools, and families?

What if, like Nympha, we open our homes for “church services” that look like potluck dinners, roasting marshmallows around a campfire, discipleship small groups, football watch parties, or school’s out for the summer ice cream celebrations with the purpose of sharing Jesus?

What if, like Archippus, we work diligently to fulfill the ministry God has plainly given us?

What if, like Epaphras, we wrestle in prayer as if our prayers TRULY mattered?!
What if we “struggle on the behalf of others in our prayers”?

Whose eternity might be changed?
Pastors, neighbors, co-workers, family members,
bank tellers, grocery store clerks, Facebook friends, Instagram followers,
and the stranger holding up a cardboard sign.
Eternity changed….
As we determine to pray for EACH to “stand mature and fully assured in the will of God.”

 What if?!!

Recently in an interview, Tauren Wells shared his pastor’s challenging question that prompted his song When We Pray:
“Whose lives would be changed if your prayers were answered?”

Are we praying like hearts and souls depend on prayer?
I know I’m not.

And thus, the Body of Christ is suffering!

BUT we can change that!
Today.

Tauren Wells’ noted:
We actually have the power to change the realities in which we live through prayer. It’s something the believer must harness and exert in our lives if we’re really going to change the world around us.

If your pastor were to write a letter like Paul’s, would YOUR name be included as one diligently serving, encouraging, supporting, uplifting, or contributing to the ministry of the church?  Would you be listed as sacrificing to make the gospel known?

An encouraging note to your pastor.
Kind words to your child’s teacher.
A “blessing bag” for the man on the street.
Coffee with a hurting friend.
A Facebook message to a new mom struggling to find purpose.
A supper invitation for the new family.
The prayers you pray on the behalf of others.

The prayers you cry through tears,
whisper in fear,
secretly journal,
scream in frustration,
or mutter under your breath…
They All Matter.

Be consistent, earnest, fervent, and BOLD in prayer,
as you wrestle for God’s Kingdom to come!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Anchored Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Anchored!

Posted in: Anchored, Bold, Colossians, God, Holy Spirit, Power, Prayer Tagged: body of Christ, Bold Prayers, Consistent, Earnestly, Fervently, God's Kingdom, wrestle

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