Learning the power of prayer from Paul

Acts 24:14-16 - However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.  So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

I am continued to be amazed at the strength of Paul.  He stands at this moment before a group of people who refuse to see the truth that he has shared.  He has been shuffled back and forth from prison to meet with high priests and judges.   He has listened to crowds beg for his death. But because he loves God more than he does his very life…he speaks these amazing words.

He must have gained an immense amount of strength from a personal encounter with the Lord during the evening hours just before this eloquent speech.  In Acts 23:11 we read, “The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."  Paul knew with no confusions that he was doing the will of God in this moment.

We can all meet with God you know…any time we want!  We can enter his presence in prayer and gain all the strength we need just like Paul. Your time with the Lord will allow you to pour out your soul to him.  You can vent to him all your sorrows and burdens…even though God already knows your sufferings.  You can petition him to give you wisdom and guidance…even though he has already given you what you need to succeed.  When you go to God in prayer you are building a relationship with him….a relationship that is worth more than all the gold, diamonds, and credit cards in the world.  Prayer provides a direct connection to the only one that can help us when life becomes out of our control.

I was thinking about how wonderful Paul’s prayers must have been. Acts doesn’t share with us how many times…or what words he used…or what times of the day he prayed.   So I sneaked a peek in Ephesians and found a beautiful prayer of Paul that he wrote to the Church at Ephesus.  It is far more beautiful than any prayer I have ever lifted up to the father ….and I want to use it as my own prayer this morning.  Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:14-21….( I did change some of the pronouns …and put them in all capital letters…since this prayer is for myself….and I underlined some words that I thought were really important!)

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen ME with power through his Spirit in MY  inner being, so that Christ may dwell in MY heart through faith. And I pray that I, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that I may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within ME, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.