A Consistent Prayer Life

Acts 3:1

“Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer”

This verse brings to mind the importance of a consistent prayer life. It does not talk about a rote exercise but does indicate the importance of prayer in the life of these two disciples.

As I read this account of prayer I’m reminded of the importance Daniel placed on prayer. In Daniel 6:10 we see Daniel faithfully praying three times a day. This practice aggravated his antagonists and they convinced the king to pass a law against doing that. Daniel persisted in prayer anyway. He would not have done that if prayer was a rote exercise or at least he would not have continued to do so publicly. His prayer life was important enough to him that he continued even though he knew the consequences (being thrown in the lion’s den).

I appreciate Daniel’s prayer for his people in chapter nine. His pattern there is a good one for us to follow. Notice he begins in verse four by giving God adoration “the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant and lovingkindness…”. Then he goes into a lengthy time of confession and thanksgiving (v. 5-17). Finally he closes with his supplications or requests (v. 17-19).

So often we rush into our prayer time by telling God of all our needs and what we want Him to do for us. We fail to follow Daniel’s model and the model our Lord Jesus gave us which begin with adoration, confession and thanksgiving. I’m convinced God is much more pleased with us when we follow the model He has given us through His Word.

Daniel, Peter and John were all criticized and persecuted for their faithfulness in prayer. We should be thankful that we live in a free society that gives us this freedom. Even now we see that freedom threatened almost daily. We should be concerned about protecting that freedom for our children and our grandchildren. We must not take it for granted.
I pray that you will be a person of consistent and disciplined prayer. Find a time when you can get alone each day with God without being rushed. Keep a prayer list if that is helpful. Don’t forget to praise Him for who He is, thank Him for answered prayer, confess those sins in your life and bring your needs to Him confidently; not because of who you are but because of who He is.

Essentials Of The Christian Life

Acts 2:42

“And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

This verse efficiently summarizes the basics of the Christian faith. The way we grow and mature as Christians and carry out God’s plan for our lives is by practicing these essentials; learning, fellowship, and prayer. Let’s consider first the importance of learning. Once we become a Christian the Holy Spirit teaches us primarily through the study of the Bible. It is critically important that we develop the habit of daily studying God’s Word. Study is more than just reading; it includes carefully observing, accurately interpreting, and applying the lessons we learn. Our study should impact our lives as we learn more about how God wants us to live.

The second important aspect of the Christian life is that of fellowship. We need to be careful about whom we spend time with and who influences us. Spending time with others who love the Lord and desire to grow in Him will help us grow in our relationship with Him. If we are around Christians who are more interested in the things of this world, we are likely to pick up their habits.

But we need to associate with non-believers also. That is not really fellowship. Our purpose in being with non-believers should be to lead them into a relationship with Christ. Those relationships take place in school, at work, and in our neighborhood. In those situations the non-believers should recognize that, as Christians, we are different than them. We have different priorities.

An important part of fellowship is helping to meet the needs of others. We see in Acts 2:45 the Christians were “selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need”. We need to be sensitive to the needs of others and share with them as the Lord has blessed us. We are told in I Timothy 6:18 to “do good, be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.” The next verse tells us that in doing that we “take hold of that which life is indeed”.

Prayer is also an integral part of the Christian life. God wants us to communicate with Him regularly and constantly. Every decision we make, every action we take should be bathed in prayer. One way we learn God’s will for us is to earnestly seek for His will in our prayer life. He has promised to respond and I can tell you from personal experience He is faithful in doing that.
I pray that you will consistently practice these essentials of the Christian faith.

Salvation From Two Perspectives

Acts 2:38-39

“And Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to himself.”

In these two verses we see both the human and divine side of salvation. From the human side we are called to repent from our sins and that is a decision we must make ourselves. The baptism mentioned here is water baptism, or identification, which is another decision we make for ourselves. Water baptism is an outward sign, a public indication of a decision we have previously made. Although I trusted the Lord as my Savior when I was twelve years old I was not baptized until I was almost 20. I did not understand baptism for a long time and knew that I was “baptized” as a child. As I came to understand the meaning of baptism I wanted to make that public identification.

The last portion of this verse could be misunderstood when we read “you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”. It is a promise given by God that the gift is one you receive the moment you trust Christ as your Savior. It is not tied to the process of water baptism.

The divine side is mentioned in v. 39 “as many as the Lord our God shall call to himself”. Paul explains in Ephesians 1:3 that “He chose us in Him before the foundations of the world…” This teaching is difficult to understand but we can be sure God knows each one of us who will come to trust the Lord Jesus as their Savior.

I appreciate the phrase in v. 39 “all who are far off”. I don’t think this phrase speaks of a distance perspective, but from a time perspective. It is referring to you and me. Think of the fact that almost 2,000 years have passed since that statement was made, but God already had you in His plan. We should give Him praise often that He called us to be His children

Peter’s Leadership

Acts 2:14-36

We noticed in the first chapter how Peter stood up in the upper room and began the discussion concerning Judas’ replacement (1:15-22). Now we see him delivering his first sermon. He is answering the mockers who said that those who were full of the Holy Spirit were “filled with sweet wine”.

As he delivers this sermon we see evidence of the Holy Spirit ministering to him. First, notice how he quotes a long passage of the book of Joel (v. 17-21) and then a passage from a psalm David wrote (Psalm 16:8-11). I don’t know how Peter had previously been exposed to these passages, but it is evident that the Holy Spirit helps him recall them. I discovered some time ago, that if I memorized Scripture, the Holy Spirit would give me recall of those passages when it was appropriate for me to use them.

Note also Peter’s boldness. In v. 23 we see him boldly declaring that these men were responsible for Jesus’ death. He then confidently assured them that God, the Father, raised Jesus from the grave revealing that He had power over death. Peter said he knew Jesus had been raised because he personally saw Him and talked to Him after His resurrection. It is an awesome thing to think that God has power over physical death and realize that even though we may die some day we may be assured that we will be raised again to new life in Him. He then quotes another Psalm of David (110:1) concerning Christ’s present role.

Peter closed his sermon with a powerful statement (v. 36). “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” Peter is beginning to carry out his responsibility as a disciple with confidence and boldness. He probably was amazed himself as the Holy Spirit gives him recall of Old Testament Scriptures. And we know that just a few days earlier he had denied knowing Christ because of fear of physical harm. This experience will give him confidence to be bold about his testimony in the future. An important factor in developing this confidence is the realization that, although they may harm him physically, there is nothing they can do to harm him spiritually.

I can tell you from experience the Holy Spirit acts in our lives the same way. He has given me recall of Scripture when I am sharing with others and He has also given me confidence and boldness. On the other hand I’ve learned that when I try to do things in my own power I am a failure. I encourage you to be bold in your Christian testimony.