“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”
St. Peter and St. John had been on trial before the chief priest for preaching the name of Jesus and healing a lame man in His name. They were given strict orders not to preach again.
What did they do? They prayed, together with the whole group of disciples. It was a genuine prayer, to which God responded with shaking the whole place and a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
What is our first instinct when we feel threatened? Call a friend, cry, escape, ...
As followers of Jesus, our first instinct should be prayer. After all He instructed us to pray all the time.
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”
If we are commanded to pray all the time, then not the least when we are in trouble.
Unfortunately, sometimes we choose to rely on people and worldly wisdom to deal with our problems.
“In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord. He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.”
Ahaz was one of Judah’s kings who were evil and led the people astray. His choices were wrong and he sought the wrong sources for help in his times of trouble.
In stark contrast, Daniel, when threatened not to pray and not to seek God, he took his troubles to the only source of life and wisdom he knew.
“Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”
David knew that God was always with him and that He always listened, so he called on God all the time.
“I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.”
Let’s make prayer our natural reaction to life in general, especially in times of trouble. He listens!
