Daily Reading: Acts 3
Scripture Focus: "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. (Acts 3.6b-8)
Devotional Thought: My friend, Barb, who was being treated for cancer, told me "When I am too weak to pray for myself, or even to think straight, it is such a comfort to know that there are people helping me with their prayers."
In Acts 3, as Peter and John went to the temple to pray, they encountered a man who was crippled from birth. He was carried there every day by family and friends so that he might beg. He was otherwise helpless. In this story we find that people of prayer can offer...
Hope. Peter did not hesitate to speak hope in the name of Jesus. Too often we look for hope in earthly names. In hopeless situations, there is hope in the name of Jesus - the Psalmist said, "Do not put your trust in princes..." (Psalm 146.3) Are you - or is someone you know - facing a hopeless situation? Speak the name of Jesus!
Help. Because Peter and John were faithful to pray, they were in the right place at the right time to offer help to the crippled man. Peter took him by the hand and lifted him up. Prayer compels us to get our hands dirty helping the helpless. If we are not willing to lift a hand to help another, we should not waste our time praying for them.
Healing. The best help of all was restoring the man to health. It was complete healing - physically, emotionally, spiritually. As we pray in the name of Jesus, people will be healed. James said that we are to pray and anoint in the name of the Lord Jesus and that the prayer of faith will heal the sick!
Let us commit to help others through our prayers.
Prayer: Lord, thank you that there is power in the name of Jesus. Help me today to offer that hopeful, helpful, healing power to those who need you. Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief! Amen.
Psalm of the Day: 11 The Lord gives the word; the women who announce the news are a great host: 12 "The kings of the armies--they flee, they flee!" The women at home divide the spoil-- 13 though you men lie among the sheepfolds-- the wings of a dove covered with silver, its pinions with shimmering gold. 14 When the Almighty scatters kings there, let snow fall on Zalmon. 15 O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan; O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan! 16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain, at the mount that God desired for his abode, yes, where the LORD will dwell forever? 17 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary. 18 You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there. (Psalms 68:11-18)
Comments