Correct beginning, correct answers
Acts 9:1~15 The Lord told him, “Go to the hosue of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus names Saul, for he is praying. (11)
Hymn for scheduled worship: Korean/English Hymnal #364 Sweet Hour of Prayer (#482 in previous version)
People generally start to worry first when problems come. But they generally suffer more because from the onset, the approach towards the crisis is wrong. Prayers only start to come out after we have been struggling on our own for a bit, but by then people often forget how to actually pray. Correct answers can only come with correct beginning. Bu t how can proper prayers take place?
1. Scheduled prayer
Whenever we are faced with crisis, we must make the right decision. The time we take to actually communicate with God, even briefly, is a necessity and we must mediate before making up our minds and decisions. This is called scheduled prayer. God sent the angels when Daniel prayed his scheduled prayer. Likewise, Peter was able to also heal the cripple because of his scheduled prayer. Sometimes scheduled prayers may not be easy. But by not giving up and by challenging oneself at praying in a scheduled manner, God will surely fill you with the Holy Spirit. Before problems befall us, and before making a decision regarding something, try scheduled prayer. Then you will be able to make decisions aligned with God’s desires and you will receive correct answers.
2. Concentrated prayer
When faced with big crisis, we must pray with concentration. When Paul prayed intentionally with regards to his long-standing problem, he was able to realize the mystery of being thankful in any circumstances. Once you have tasted the power of prayer, you can easily start 24-hour prayer. The reasons why we can pray the whole day regarding our occupation, our church, and our missions is because God answers our prayers 24 hours a day. We will also receive great and unsearchable answers that others would not know of when we experience the prayers for whom a personal contract with God is established.
3. Correct answer
When we enjoy scheduled prayer, concentrated prayer, and 24-hour prayer, the problems that were hindering us no longer seem like problems at all. It is not that the problems have disappeared; however, the problems no longer affect us. With the powers and blessings of being children of God, we can now transcend the physical problems and see the works taking place in our daily lives. This grace should not be limited to Sundays when we go to church but should be grace enough to fully experience Jesus Christ in our everyday lives. The more we realize the Gospel is complete, the more our lives will overflow with answers.
- Do not start worrying when we are met with crisis but try praying and lay all your burdens onto God. Then you will realize the blessings of complete Gospel. New Believer & Field Ministry Worker Retreat / 2012. 3. 13