There is no doubt that Peter, the most prominent person in the Jerusalem church, had a lot on his mind and that the reports of the supernatural surrounding his ministry would cause many in Joppa to seek his counsel or prayer. In spite of all the other demands on his time, Acts 10:9 says that Peter took time—by himself—to pray.
I’m sure that as Peter went up to the roof of that house to pray, he had no idea that God was going to speak a word to him that would forever alter both the course of his ministry and the future of the church at large.
Although Peter did not initially understand the vision nor the accompanying words from the Lord, he didn’t dismiss the experience, saying, “That was weird!” He continued to ponder and wait for its meaning. That’s when the Holy Spirit spoke to him with clear and practical direction.
By following the instructions he received in prayer and not leaning on his own understanding (see Prov. 3:5-6), the barrier that confined the gospel of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit—both to the Jews and from the rest of the world—was destroyed.
What would have happened if Peter had not taken time to pray? He would have missed out on this huge and God-intended breakthrough. What happens if we don’t take time to pray, hear the Lord and follow His instruction?
It is useless to argue with the words of Jesus: ” ‘How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!’ ” (Matt. 7:11, NKJV).
In John 4:35 Jesus said, ” ‘Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!’ ”
The Head of the church knows the fields; He knows where the harvest is, and He knows how to gather them. There is no shortage of harvest and no shortage of people who are ready to become disciples of Christ. But we need both to know where to look and the divine direction to gather them.
We must never forget that God is not passive about building His church. He already has a plan, and His plan always works. So, what difference could it make today if you received just one word from God?
By: Kimberly Dirmann, district supervisor of Foursquare’s Southwest District
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