10/12/09

The Believers' Prayer
23On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
" 'Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.[a]'[b] 27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people[c] of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

The Believers Share Their Possessions
32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
36Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.


This is another great example of how to pray. They began by praising God, they told him their specific problem, and asked for his help. They didn't ask for the problem to go away. They asked for the courage an strength to deal with it. We must recognize that it isn't always best for us to remove the problem. Remember that God is sovereign over everything and what his will determines will be carried out by his power. Have the courage to do what is right. Pray for this courage. Pray for the Holy Spirit to give you courage. Look for opportunities to tell others about Christ. Remember that rejection, social discomfort, and embarrassment are all part of it. Start by being bolder in small ways. Spiritual unity is essential. The church could not survive without this. These Christians shared everything that they had because they knew it all came from God. They eliminated poverty among their own. They would not let a brother or sister suffer when they had plenty. Have the attitude that everything comes from God and we are sharing what is already his.

As far as your purpose goes, you shouldn't carelessly go through life. Try to find out and do whatever the Lord wants you to do. You begin this process by assessing your gifts and abilities. Be realistic. Ask others their opinion of your abilities and pray for God to show it to you. Where have you already had success? Experiment with different areas of service. This is a major path to discovering your gifts.

Consider your heart and personality. Figure our who you are and then sink yourself into that. What am I doing when I lose track of time? is a great question to ask yourself. When do you feel the most alive?

Think about the lessons you have learned through your experiences. How have they shaped you? Do not waste these experiences. In hindsight, we often see how God used our problems for good.

Accept and enjoy your personality and experiences and continue to cultivate what you have learned throughout your entire life. Love you all and have a great day!