Prayer.
OK, God. I get it.
In just six weeks of BSF, God has really showed me the value of prayer, the results of prayer and why prayer is important to Him. This week was no exception.
While Peter was in prison, awaiting his execution by King Herod, Acts 12:5 tell us that the church “was earnestly praying to God for him.” My teaching leader provided these definitions for earnest:
- serious
- intentional
- to an impressive degree
- a considerable amount
These phrases don’t exactly describe my prayer life right now. I can be very casual about prayer. While this isn’t a bad thing, it usually means that I’m not completely focused on what I’m praying. I can pray intentionally, but that means planning purposeful and deliberate prayer times. It’s quite challenging to think about how to pray to an impressive degree and in a considerable amount. I really struggle with these two qualities of earnest prayer.
And do I expect an answer from God when I pray (Psalm 5:3)?
I must earnestly pray for the church’s work around the world because my prayers can affect this work.
The result of the church’s earnest prayers in Acts 12 was that an angel miraculously rescued Peter from his prison cell. When Peter arrived at the house where the believers were praying, they couldn’t believe how God had rescued Peter. Although they earnestly prayed for Peter, they apparently still were surprised when God miraculously answered their prayers!