Acts 10-11 record the results of one of the most mature ministries found in the New Testament. In this Holy Spirit inspired account we see two men who have hearts ready to receive divine revelation, obey the Lord’s instructions and enjoy the benefits of surrendered prayer. Cornelius was a man who “prayed to God regularly.” (Acts 10:2) Peter was a mere man who is known among born again Bible scholars as being very spiritually mature, a spiritual leader, but one who still needed to be a man of prayer. Acts 10 records the revelation of taking the Gospel to Cornelius’ household through the Apostle Peter. It was through Cornelius’ and Peter’s surrendered hearts in prayer that God revealed His will in taking the Gospel to the Gentiles. Peter and Cornelius had the heart of Daniel who knew the joy of prayer. (Daniel 6:10,13) Christians who enjoy revelation from the Lord have the heart of the psalmist who wrote, “Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice.” (Psalm 55:17) Holy Spirit illuminated Christians live a life that says, “I will listen to what the Lord will say.” (Psalm 85:8a)
The great prayer warrior George Muller said, “The most important part of prayer was the first fifteen minutes after I said ‘Amen.’” Walter B. Knight wrote, “Prayer is not a monologue, it is dialogue – our talking to God and God talking to us.”
Pastor O. C. Lunholm told of a lesson he learned from a scientist. They were on a loud, busy, crowded street corner when suddenly the scientist said, “Do you hear that?” “No” said the pastor. The scientist said, “I hear a cricket.” They walked over next to the building, and the scientist overturned a small rock. Sure enough, there was a cricket. The pastor said, “How did you hear it, above all this noise?” The scientist said, “Let me show you something.” They both walked to the middle of the side walk and the scientist took a quarter and tossed up into the air. When the quarter hit the sidewalk, it made almost inaudible noise compared to the sound of the traffic. Nevertheless, people stopped and started looking for the quarter that landed on the sidewalk. The scientist said, “People will train their ears to hear what they want to hear and they will use their eyes to see what they want to see.” (Knight’s Book of 2,000 Illustrations) Let prayer bring you revelation!
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