The power of prayer
[Acts 16:11-40]
Ray Prichard said in an article titled ‘Prayer Beyond Thought’: Our prayers are too small! ... To the father of the Reformation, Martin Luther, Frederick Myconius was a good friend and assistant. In 1540, Myconius was waiting for the day of his death due to illness. While awaiting death, he sent a letter to Luther, bidding a fond farewell. Luther, upon reading the letter, immediately replied, 'I command you to live in the name of God, because I still need your help in the work of reforming the church. ... The Lord will not allow me to hear that you have died, and He will ensure that you live longer than me. I am praying for this. This is my wish, and my wish will be granted because I only desire to glorify the name of God.' This may seem bold and audacious, but the important thing is that when Luther's reply arrived, Myconius, who had no strength to speak, rose up and lived for another six years. He passed away two months after Luther's death. What an amazing testimony to the power of prayer! Do you want to pray like this? Pray with faith (Internet).
During last week's Wednesday prayer meeting, while meditating on Psalms 69, we reflected on four ways in which someone pleases God more. The first of these is being a seeker of the Lord or a one who looks to the Lord or a prayerful one, as it was learned from Psalms 69:6. David, the psalmist, earnestly sought God when he was in a deep pit without a foothold due to the persecution of many strong and numerous enemies who sought to cut off his life (v. 1). Especially in the midst of such suffering, when even his brothers avoided him, and in the loneliness where there was no one to pity or comfort him, David, due to not finding anyone (v. 20), sought God even more. Look at Proverbs 8:17 - "I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me." We must pray earnestly to God. Therefore, we must experience the power of prayer. I will focus on Acts 16:11-40 under the title "The power of prayer," contemplating how the power of prayer manifested through three events, and I hope to receive the grace He gives.
The first incident where the power of prayer manifested was in the frequent trading Lydia and her household.
In conclusion, the prayerful abilities manifested in Lydia and her household led them all to believe in the Lord and receive baptism (Acts 16:15). The Apostle Paul and his companions, acknowledging that God had called them to go and preach the gospel in Macedonia under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (v. 10), sailed from Troas to Samothrace and then straight to Neapolis on the next day (v. 11). From there, they reached Philippi, which was the leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony, and stayed there for several days (v. 12). On the Sabbath day, they went outside the city gate to the riverbank, presuming that there was a place of prayer, and they met a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple goods from the city of Thyatira. In the context, it is noteworthy that Paul, who typically used Jewish synagogues as a starting point for his missionary journeys, did not mention a Jewish synagogue in Philippi. This omission suggests that there was no formal Jewish synagogue in Philippi, so Paul and his companions had to find a place of prayer. There, they encountered Lydia, a woman engaged in the lucrative business of selling purple goods. Lydia was a woman of significant wealth, likely due to the prosperous purple dye industry in Thyatira near Ephesus. Purple dye, often associated with nobility, was in demand, making it a lucrative trade, especially among the aristocracy. What is astonishing is that the Lord opened Lydia's heart to heed Paul's message, as indicated in verse 14: "The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul." This exemplifies the power of prayer – when we entreat God, He opens the hearts of those we desire to share the gospel with, enabling them to respond to the message we convey. In other words, prayer plays a crucial role in enabling people to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. Of course, the act of opening hearts rests within the sovereignty of God. In addition to Lydia, there were other women at the place of prayer, but God chose to open Lydia's heart to listen to Paul's message. This narrative, however, can also be seen as occurring within the context of Paul and his companions' prayers. Referring to Ezekiel 36:37, God similarly speaks to the people of Israel and, by extension, to us: "Thus says the Lord God: This also I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like a flock." While God executes His will and plans within His sovereignty, we must be aware that He accomplishes His promised word through our prayers.
Once, I remember hearing a sermon on a Christian radio broadcast, centered around the passage we read today, delivered by a pastor of a certain immigrant church. The words of that pastor, saying, ‘Praying apostle Paul met praying Lydia,’ still linger in my memory. It was a message that resonated deeply. Lydia, who worshipped God, had not yet heard the gospel and accepted Jesus as her Savior. When Lydia was gathered with other women in prayer, God prevented Paul and his companions from going to Asia and directed them to Macedonia. Eventually, by opening Lydia's heart to listen to Paul's words, God made her the first convert in the church at Philippi. How amazing is this salvation story orchestrated by God? Ultimately, in Acts 16:15, the author Luke records it this way: "And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, 'If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.' And she prevailed upon us."
The second incident where the power of prayer manifested was in the case of a possessed slave girl.
This second event, similar to the first event of Lydia's salvation, involves Paul and his companions encountering a demon-possessed slave girl while going to a place of prayer. In verse 16, it states that Paul and his companions were going to a place of prayer when they were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. In other words, both events are related to prayer. In the first incident, the power of prayer led Paul and his companions to Lydia at a place of prayer, resulting in her salvation. In the second incident, as Paul and his companions were going to a place of prayer, they encountered a slave girl possessed by a spirit of divination. In the name of Jesus Christ, they healed her (v. 16). The significant difference between the two incidents is that while Lydia received salvation, the possessed slave girl experienced deliverance from a physical affliction rather than spiritual salvation. In essence, the slave girl did not believe in Jesus for salvation but was immediately healed of her affliction through the power of Jesus' name. Here, we witness that prayer in the field of mission is a powerful tool representing the work of God's power. An interesting question arises: Did this fortune-telling woman, like a shaman, have knowledge of the way of salvation? In verse 17, she loudly proclaimed, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation." While the Korean Bible may suggest that the possessed woman seemed to know the way of salvation, the original Greek text does not include the definite article "the" before "way of salvation." Her proclamation implies that the possessed woman was declaring that among many ways of salvation, Jesus Christ was one of them. The possessed woman, for many days, followed Paul and his companions, shouting that they were servants of the Most High God proclaiming a way of salvation to the onlookers. Perhaps Paul and his companions were bothered and distressed by her persistent cries as she followed them. It's likely that although she acknowledged the Most High God, her understanding of salvation was distorted. Therefore, after enduring the annoyance for many days, Paul, in frustration, turned to the possessed girl and commanded the spirit to come out in the name of Jesus Christ. At that moment, the spirit left her (v. 18). It was the power of Jesus Christ within Paul that compelled the demon to obey.
In Acts 3:6-8, we see a similar healing incident. At the Beautiful Gate of the temple, a man who had been lame from birth and was begging received healing when the Apostle Peter, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, told him to rise and walk. As Peter took him by the right hand and lifted him up, the formerly lame man stood up, walked, and praised God. The basis for this healing miracle is the authority of Jesus. Just as the lame man received healing through the power of Jesus operating through the Apostle Peter, in today's passage Acts 16:11-40, the possessed girl was healed not so much by Paul's ability but by the power of Jesus working through Paul. We must experience the power of Jesus through prayer and actively seek healing in the name of Jesus Christ.
The third incident where the power of prayer manifested occurred with a jailer and his household.
This final third incident is related to the second one. Since Paul healed the demon-possessed girl in the name of Jesus Christ, the girl's owners, realizing their hope of gain through her fortune-telling was gone, seized Paul and Silas and brought them to the market (v. 19). Eventually, the authorities tore off their clothes, beat them severely, and then imprisoned them, instructing the jailer to guard them securely (vv. 22-23). Around midnight, despite facing potential execution the next day, Paul and Silas prayed and praised God in the prison (v. 25). Suddenly, a great earthquake occurred, shaking the foundations of the prison, and all the doors opened, and everyone's chains were loosed (v. 26). Seeing this, the jailer, thinking that the prisoners had escaped, drew his sword to kill himself (v. 27). However, Paul prevented him, and the jailer, trembling with fear, fell down before Paul and Silas, asking, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (v. 30. Paul's response was straightforward: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household" (v. 31). Subsequently, Paul shared the message of the Lord with the jailer and everyone in his household, leading them to believe in God (v. 34). As a result, great joy came to that household.
When reflecting on the story of the salvation of the jailer and his household, a crucial verse that cannot be overlooked is verse 25: "About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them." In this passage, the prayer offered by Paul and Silas was not a plea for rescue from the prison but rather a prayer of praise and glory to God. It was a prayer that, in the midst of the darkness of the prison, expressed gratitude and joy for suffering in the name of Jesus. This highlights the attitude of the apostles, who rejoiced in being considered worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of Jesus' name (5:41). This is the power of prayer. The ability of prayer to praise God and give glory resulted in a miraculous earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison, opened the prison doors, and loosened everyone's chains (v. 26). As a consequence, not only were Paul and Silas delivered from imprisonment, but the jailer and his entire household experienced the salvation of believing in God (v. 34).
Pastor Andrew Murray expressed the power of prayer by saying, ‘The reason why so many Christians, workers for Christ, have so little influence in the world is just this one thing: they work without praying. They devote themselves earnestly to study in their libraries and to the work of the church, pouring their hearts into preaching and interacting with people, but they lack constant prayer. The power of prayer, the channel of power from the sure promises and comfort of the Holy Spirit, is absent. The reason for the lack of a powerful spiritual life is simply the sin of not praying!’ (Internet).
Wishing to experience the power of prayer more deeply,
James Kim
(Asking for the manifestation of the power of the gospel)