Tuesday, October 21st

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Tuesday, October 21

Acts 4:23-31

When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, "'Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed'-- for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

A couple of weeks ago we lost our friend and colleague, Pastor Roger, after a 13 year battle with cancer. It is a sad time for our church family but, as often is the case when a faithful follower of Christ leaves us, it is also a time of deep  appreciation and sweet remembrance.

One of the stories I found especially meaningful had to do with how Roger spent his many hours hooked up to the dialysis machine. For the past 6 or 7 years Roger went three times a week - for five hours each time - for dialysis treatment. Turns out he used much of that time to pray.

Rather than pass the time reading, watching T.V. or sleeping, Roger spent hours praying for staff members and their families, including praying for our children by name.

When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them...

These early Christians were being threatened by the same   people that conspired to send Jesus to the cross and notice that they begin their prayer by acknowledging the sovereignty of God. This is not insignificant.

By recognizing who God is; the sovereign creator of all things; they are anchoring their faith in a troubling and confusing time.

For if God is creator of all things then all things belong to him, including the religious authorities that are threatening them. If God is sovereign Lord of the universe, then nothing is beyond his authority; nothing surprises him; nothing can happen to them that he does not allow for his eternal purposes.

Anchoring their prayer in God’s sovereign wisdom and power gives them great comfort and freedom even in a time of uncertainty and pain.

Back to our friend Roger. I believe Roger could spend all those hours hooked up to a dialysis machine praying for others because he also trusted the sovereignty of God. Roger didn’t want to be sick; he didn’t enjoy being on dialysis; but he trusted that God could use him and his life for a greater purpose even as he suffered.

This is a unique kind of prayer that I like to call “revolutionary prayer.” Ordinary prayer is, “Lord, please help me with this....help me with that...remove this difficult circumstance from my life.” And there’s nothing wrong with that kind of prayer! God wants us to come to him as our Heavenly Father with everything we need.

But revolutionary prayer is, “Lord, you are sovereign and you are good. You are able to heal my body and get me off this dialysis machine; but you are also able to use my situation for your glory and for your purposes; use me even here!”

Ordinary prayer focuses on asking God to change our circumstances; revolutionary prayer asks God to change us IN our circumstances.

Do you pray revolutionary prayers?


Pastor Brian Coffey