“At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.” (Acts 10:1–2, ESV)
In the scripture for today, we are introduced to a Roman soldier who was righteous before God. It was not often in the Bible that a person outside the Israelite ethnic group was praised in the Bible as being a righteous person. That was because people who were not Israelite often did not believe in God, or did not believe in the Only True God, or did not live a holy life in respect to godly righteousness. In the scripture from Acts 10, Cornelius is named as “a devout man who feared God” (Acts 10:1). He gave alms. He was generous. These characteristics of Cornelius put him in a special category of a foreigner who understood and revered the one true God. For today, though, I want to focus in on the very last line in these two verses. It extols that one of Cornelius’ spiritual characteristics was that he “prayed continually to God” (Acts 10:2).
A Barna Research Group nationwide survey in 1998 asked random people if they thought that prayer made a difference in a person’s life. Among born-again Christians, this number was somewhat high at 73%, and rightly should be. However, the number among those who weren’t even strong believers was 43%. Even among people who did not believe strongly in God there were a high percentage who believed in the power of prayer. (Moody, July/August, p. 7) I find it interesting that though people understand or have felt the power and effects of prayer, most people do not follow through in the manner of Cornelius from the Bible. They do not “pray continually” or “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
There are over 650 instances of people praying in the Bible openly. The gospels mention Jesus praying over 25 times. Before many major moments, Jesus was in prayer, notably in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the Cross. All these instances do not count the myriad of times that Jesus or Biblical people prayed alone or in silence. The Apostle Paul mentioned at several places in his writings that people should pray without ceasing, pray constantly, or pray consistently.
Is your prayer life consistent? Do you pray constantly? Does a conversation with God occur naturally throughout your day?
“In one region of Africa, the first converts to Christianity were very diligent about praying. In fact, the believers each had their own special place outside the village where they went to pray in solitude. The villagers reached these “prayer rooms” by using their own private footpaths through the brush. When grass began to grow over one of these trails, it was evident that the person to whom it belonged was not praying very much.
Because these new Christians were concerned for each other’s spiritual welfare, a unique custom sprang up. Whenever anyone noticed an overgrown “Prayer path,” he or she would go to the person and lovingly warn, “Friend, there’s grass on your path!”” (RWD, Our Daily Bread, Nov. 18, 1996)
I only wish that most people prayed so often that a path was worn on the way to a place of prayer. I only wish that people would pray so often and so consistently and faithfully that it would become as natural as breathing.
While visiting with a group of Christians over lunch one day, I noticed that one young woman constantly reached for her cell phone on the table next to her plate. Throughout the entire meal, she looked at the phone, tapped on the screen, or listened for the buzz of incoming messages. Being that she was on call at work, I figured that’s what she was doing. As the lunch neared completion, the leader leaned over to me and whispered, “Did you see how often she looked at her cell phone? She’s addicted to it. I only wish every time that darn phone made noise, she would send up a prayer to God. Her family needs it desperately.”
The young woman thought nothing of checking her phone constantly. She had grown used to doing it. She did it consistently during work and at home. She carried her phone with her wherever she went and was seldom caught out of cell phone range.
If only we were so used to praying! If only prayer fell so naturally from our lips! If conversations with the one true God were common in our world, I know that life would be so different. I guarantee the world would be more loving.
Two dozen people went on a prayer retreat with their pastor. At that retreat, their cell phones were taken away. Instead, each person was given a WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) band to put around their wrist. Every time they noticed the wrist band or felt the band, they were instructed to say a prayer about something special in that moment. At first, the retreat-goers felt awkward stopping to pray. But, by the end of the weekend, they hardly noticed the band. Instead, they just naturally fell into prayers at all kinds of times and places.
I have discovered that people who pray constantly find special comfort in praying in unusual places or in unusual ways. Sure, they pray during worship or before meals, but they can be found praying in many other places, at different times, and in different manners. I know people who love to pray while they walk, when they drive, and whenever they think of a needy friend. People who pray constantly are known to close their eyes to pray silently when riding the bus, sitting at their recliner, or waiting at the doctor’s office. I know people who have found great comfort talking to God out loud while alone in an empty house or when they are on the way to church for some event. I know people who do their best praying by writing things down in a prayer journal, while meditating on some scripture, or while turning the pages of an inspirational book. There are so many places and methods of prayer to enjoy. Which do you cherish the most?
Today, take every chance possible to say a prayer in silence or out loud. Take a few moments to pray for a needy friend, offer a blessing for another, or give thanks for a meal. At least every hour, find a moment to close your eyes and just let your heart think about a favorite scripture or an attribute of God. Pray without ceasing. Pray continually. You WILL find that if you do this often enough, a spiritual peace settles over your soul and the connection with God will be strengthened. Try it. You won’t regret it. Your soul WILL be affected by it. God’s Spirit in you will be filled with excitement.
A Barna Research Group nationwide survey in 1998 asked random people if they thought that prayer made a difference in a person’s life. Among born-again Christians, this number was somewhat high at 73%, and rightly should be. However, the number among those who weren’t even strong believers was 43%. Even among people who did not believe strongly in God there were a high percentage who believed in the power of prayer. (Moody, July/August, p. 7) I find it interesting that though people understand or have felt the power and effects of prayer, most people do not follow through in the manner of Cornelius from the Bible. They do not “pray continually” or “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
There are over 650 instances of people praying in the Bible openly. The gospels mention Jesus praying over 25 times. Before many major moments, Jesus was in prayer, notably in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the Cross. All these instances do not count the myriad of times that Jesus or Biblical people prayed alone or in silence. The Apostle Paul mentioned at several places in his writings that people should pray without ceasing, pray constantly, or pray consistently.
Is your prayer life consistent? Do you pray constantly? Does a conversation with God occur naturally throughout your day?
“In one region of Africa, the first converts to Christianity were very diligent about praying. In fact, the believers each had their own special place outside the village where they went to pray in solitude. The villagers reached these “prayer rooms” by using their own private footpaths through the brush. When grass began to grow over one of these trails, it was evident that the person to whom it belonged was not praying very much.
Because these new Christians were concerned for each other’s spiritual welfare, a unique custom sprang up. Whenever anyone noticed an overgrown “Prayer path,” he or she would go to the person and lovingly warn, “Friend, there’s grass on your path!”” (RWD, Our Daily Bread, Nov. 18, 1996)
I only wish that most people prayed so often that a path was worn on the way to a place of prayer. I only wish that people would pray so often and so consistently and faithfully that it would become as natural as breathing.
While visiting with a group of Christians over lunch one day, I noticed that one young woman constantly reached for her cell phone on the table next to her plate. Throughout the entire meal, she looked at the phone, tapped on the screen, or listened for the buzz of incoming messages. Being that she was on call at work, I figured that’s what she was doing. As the lunch neared completion, the leader leaned over to me and whispered, “Did you see how often she looked at her cell phone? She’s addicted to it. I only wish every time that darn phone made noise, she would send up a prayer to God. Her family needs it desperately.”
The young woman thought nothing of checking her phone constantly. She had grown used to doing it. She did it consistently during work and at home. She carried her phone with her wherever she went and was seldom caught out of cell phone range.
If only we were so used to praying! If only prayer fell so naturally from our lips! If conversations with the one true God were common in our world, I know that life would be so different. I guarantee the world would be more loving.
Two dozen people went on a prayer retreat with their pastor. At that retreat, their cell phones were taken away. Instead, each person was given a WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) band to put around their wrist. Every time they noticed the wrist band or felt the band, they were instructed to say a prayer about something special in that moment. At first, the retreat-goers felt awkward stopping to pray. But, by the end of the weekend, they hardly noticed the band. Instead, they just naturally fell into prayers at all kinds of times and places.
I have discovered that people who pray constantly find special comfort in praying in unusual places or in unusual ways. Sure, they pray during worship or before meals, but they can be found praying in many other places, at different times, and in different manners. I know people who love to pray while they walk, when they drive, and whenever they think of a needy friend. People who pray constantly are known to close their eyes to pray silently when riding the bus, sitting at their recliner, or waiting at the doctor’s office. I know people who have found great comfort talking to God out loud while alone in an empty house or when they are on the way to church for some event. I know people who do their best praying by writing things down in a prayer journal, while meditating on some scripture, or while turning the pages of an inspirational book. There are so many places and methods of prayer to enjoy. Which do you cherish the most?
Today, take every chance possible to say a prayer in silence or out loud. Take a few moments to pray for a needy friend, offer a blessing for another, or give thanks for a meal. At least every hour, find a moment to close your eyes and just let your heart think about a favorite scripture or an attribute of God. Pray without ceasing. Pray continually. You WILL find that if you do this often enough, a spiritual peace settles over your soul and the connection with God will be strengthened. Try it. You won’t regret it. Your soul WILL be affected by it. God’s Spirit in you will be filled with excitement.