16. Regular Prayer

Acts 10:9-16

 

9 The next day as Cornelius’s messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon,

10 and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners.

12 In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds.

13 Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.”

14 “No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean.”

15 But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” 16 The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven.

 

▣ Peter had a vision while praying at the sixth hour.

On the same day, Cornelius, who was praying in Caesarea, also had a vision.

Cornelius prayed to the old city.

Peter was on his way to the temple in time for prayer even when he was healing a crippled man at the beautiful gate of the temple.

 

One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said. (Acts 10:3)

 

1 Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. (Acts 3:1)

 

The Bible testifies about the time they prayed.

Those who pray have time to pray.

Prayer is not a vague thought, but a specific time to pray.

A person who prays needs regular prayer time.

 

E. M. Bounds woke up at 4 am every day and started the day by praying for 3 hours every day.

He clearly showed with his life that 'prayer' is the way to accomplish all that God can do.

Martin Luther said, "If I fail to pray for three hours in the morning, the victory of the day goes to the devil."

John Wesley and John Knox are also people who wake up at 4 am every day and devoted themselves to prayer.

 

1. Regular prayer is preparing your faith

 

But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. (Daniel 6: 10)

 

Daniel always set a regular time to pray.

Prayer is not a first aid measure.

Prayer is not something we do only when we are faced with difficulties, but it is to increase our spiritual ability through regular prayer on a regular basis.

Spiritual power is revealed as much as the amount of prayer.

 

Do not try to pray because you are faced with a problem, but pray first and prepare the faith to overcome the problem.

 

It is necessary to receive a lot of water in the reservoir so that it can be used sufficiently during the farming season.

The reservoir must be filled with water to allow water to flow down.

In case of drought, water cannot be obtained, so when it rains, water must be locked in advance.

 

2. Regular prayer is spiritual recharge.

 

4 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”

5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” 6 He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai,[a] the mountain of God. (1 Kings 19:4-8).

 

Spiritual depression also came to Elijah, the prophet who achieved the great victory on Mount Carmel. Threatened by Jezebel, he asked to die.

God calls him to Horeb, comforts him, gives him refreshment, and sends him back to the field of ministry. Leaders also experience spiritual stagnation.

All Christians should be spiritually recharged through prayer.

When the oil burns out, you need to refill it.

 

Electricity doesn't have to be used to get rid of it.

Even if the car is left standing without driving, it will be discharged.

If your phone is left unused for a long time, the battery will drain.

Spiritual energy is also consumed and discharged unknowingly over time.

Christians should always remain filled with the Holy Spirit through prayer.

You will enjoy the filling of the Holy Spirit as much as you pray a lot.

 

3. Regular prayer develops a spiritual longing.

 

The water from the well becomes clearer and richer the more it is pumped out.

The same goes for prayer.

The more you pray, the more you want to do it.

As we live a life of prayer, our desire to spend more time alone with God grows.

 

There are people who think, “There is no need to pray separately because my life is prayer.” It's an illusion.

Rather, spending time alone with God always increases our desire to pray together.

The more we pray, the more the desire to be alone with the Lord grows within us.

 

The Lord hears the plea of ​​a woman who still touches the hem of your robe in the midst of the crowds and the noise.

Prayer is the greatest gift of God we can enjoy.