Prayer in Acts, Part 6

Tonight is Part 6 of our study on prayer in the book of Acts.  We are doing this study at our church’s Wednesday night prayer meeting.  I have enjoyed simply walking through this book and letting the text of Scripture guide our prayers.

Tonight’s study comes from two accounts – God’s raising of Dorcas from the dead through Peter in Acts 9, and Cornelius’s vision of the angel in Acts 10.  I would have preferred to complete Cornelius’s story in one lesson, but it is a long passage, and I don’t want to miss out on some of the good stuff on prayer by rushing it.  So, we’ll cover more of that account next week.  These two passages are wonderfully connected by God’s sovereignty in sending Peter to stay a long time in Joppa, which is where Cornelius located him.

We could also point out that Peter stayed in Joppa with Simon the tanner, who would often have been ritually unclean (from a Jewish perspective) through his occupation.  Perhaps this was part of God’s preparation for Peter’s vision and the subsequent taking of the gospel to the Gentiles.   The prayer guide is attached below, and would be suitable for individual or group prayers.  God bless you!

Prayer in Acts, Part 6 – Prayer Meeting 02102016

Tags: Prayer, Prayer Meeting, Acts, Acts 9, Acts 10, Peter, Dorcas, Cornelius, Miracles, Gentiles, Sovereignty

Prayer in Acts, Part 5

Tonight we are walking through Part 5 of our study on prayer in the book of Acts.  We are doing this study at our church’s Wednesday night prayer meeting – letting each instance of prayer in Acts guide our own prayer time.

Tonight’s entire study is from Paul’s (Saul’s) conversion story in Acts 9.  Both Paul’s and Ananias’s conversations with God are prayers, and they illustrate the importance of listening during our times as prayer.  The prayer guide is attached below.  God bless you!

Prayer in Acts, Part 5 – Prayer Meeting 02032016

Tags: Prayer, Prayer Meeting, Acts, Acts 9, Paul, Saul, Ananias, Gospel, Conversion

IMB Commission Stories: Harper Family

Yesterday I received a publication in my mailbox called “Commission Stories,” from the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.  Here is a PDF of the document.  Pages 18-20 tell the story of the Harper family (name changed), who went to a very dangerous place in Southeast Asia to share the gospel.  There are actually two amazing stories about them in the publication – the first about their gospel witness in the face of government opposition (and the local believers who partnered with them, risking and giving their lives for the gospel), and the second about Mary Harper’s return to the US in the face of a diagnosis of Lou Gehrig’s disease – which ultimately took her life.

After Mary passed, her husband John spoke Job’s words: “Blessed be the Name of the Lord.  Though He slay me, I will trust in Him” (Job 1:21, 13:15).  You should read the two short articles.  They are great examples of faith in the Lord in the face of persecution, suffering, and death.  Not only that, John is a self-professed “hillbilly,” who speaks with amazement of how the Lord used even him.

These powerful stories could be shared together or separately – depending on the nature of your biblical text, how much time you have, and the main point(s) you are making.

Some passage ideas for the first article, which focuses on their witness in a hostile place: Jeremiah 38, Daniel 3, Matthew 16:24-28, Matthew 24:9-14, Mark 8:31-38, Mark 13:9-13, Luke 14:25-35, Luke 21:10-19, John 15:18-25, Acts 4, Acts 5, Acts 7, Acts 9, Acts 12, Acts 14, Acts 16, Acts 19, Acts 28, Philippians 1:12-20, Philippians 1:27-29, Hebrews 12:1-13, Revelation 2, and Revelation 6:9-11.

The second article, which focuses on trusting the Lord in the midst of suffering and death: Job 1, Job 2, Job 13, Romans 8, 2 Corinthians 11, 2 Corinthians 12, Philippians 1:21, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, and James 1:2-4.

Finally, John’s statements about the Lord using him in spite of him being a self-professed “hillbilly” could help illustrate passages that talk about God using us in spite of ourselves: Exodus 3 and Exodus 4 (the call of Moses), Judges 6 (the call of Gideon), 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, 1 Corinthians 15:9-11, and 1 Timothy 1:12-17.