TEXT: Acts 10:17-20
17 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate,
18 And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.
19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.
We are in a series of messages titled “Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible.” The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have completed 216 messages in this series.
This is message #217 titled, God Honors Consistent Prayer and Faithful Living, Part 5
In our last message in this series, we talked about the faithfulness of Peter in prayer. Prior to that, we talked about the pious lifestyle and prayerfulness of the Gentile Cornelius. In this passage, we begin to see how both of these men, unbeknownst to each other, were being guided by God to fulfill a joint goal.
The “vision” spoken of in verse 17 is the one Peter received while he was praying. A “great sheet” dropped from the sky presenting him with “all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.” A voice commanded Peter to “kill and eat.” But Peter refused saying, “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.” The voice replied, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” Three times, this vision was repeated while Peter prayed.
Notice that the Bible says Peter “doubted in himself” what the vision meant. He had no idea what to make of it. But while he was thinking on the meaning of this vision, the men whom Cornelius had sent arrived at the house and asked for him. The Bible says “the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.” Peter went down to them, met with them, and then returned with them to Cornelius’ house the next day.
What we see in this passage is the Spirit of God directing those who are in tune with Him through prayer. Cornelius did not know why the angel told him to send for Peter. Peter did not understand the vision that he had received. He did not know why these three men sent by a Gentile Centurion were asking him to return with them. But God knew what He was doing.
Because of their faithfulness in prayer, God had an open door into each of these men’s lives. They had been faithful to Him and now He was using them to push forward the next phase of Gospel evangelism — taking the Good News to the Gentiles. Owen Feltham said, “He, who always waits upon God, is ready whensoever he calls. He is a happy man who so lives that God, at all times, may find him at leisure to serve.”
When we are faithful in prayer and in regular communion with God, God will have an open door to work in our lives. We will be available for Him to speak to us and to use us in ways we have never imagined. We may not always understand His instructions, but if we continue to walk in faith and obedience, as Peter and Cornelius did, we will be richly rewarded.
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Now, if you are with us today, and you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, your first prayer needs to be what we call the Sinner’s Prayer. First, please understand that you are a sinner, just as I am, and that you have broken God’s laws. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now this is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! Congratulations on trusting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. You have done the most important thing in life. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Gospel Light House of Prayer International 