Acts 27:23-25 - “For last
night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul—for you will
surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God has granted your request and
will save the lives of all those sailing with you.’ So take courage! For I believe God! It will be just
as he said! But we will be
shipwrecked on an island.”
Paul was finally loaded on a boat to Rome...but
there was trouble after trouble on the way. They made it as far as Fair Haven with
decent traveling weather….Paul not feeling very positive about moving on….but
the decision to go was made anyway by the ship’s crew. In the end…it proved to
be disastrous….but because of Paul’s prayers…no one died. Even though the ship
was grounded and pulled apart…they all made it to a nearby Island… by swimming
or floating ashore on the debris of the ship.
What impresses me the most about this story
is that Paul did not just pray for his own safety…he prayed for all the people
on that boat. God even gave the head
guard Julius….a kind heart toward Paul…so that the other officers traveling
with Paul and the other prisoners would not be killed to prevent them running
away.
God ultimately wanted Paul to minister in
Rome…but Paul was not the only life he protected on that ship. God had a purpose in every moment of trouble
that the whole crew suffered through. God
saved them all for a reason. He even sent an angel to Paul in the night to
comfort him and encourage him not to be afraid. How cool ….how overcome with
joy for a positive answer to his prayers…how awestruck Paul must have been to
speak with the angel that night.
I admit that my prayers concentrate mostly
on my own needs. I have a few lists of
other needs that I lift up in prayer….but I sure don’t have Paul’s resolve to
put everyone’s else’s needs even with my own. I needed the reminder that my
prayers should count all the ones I pray for just as important as myself. I
needed the reminder that I may not have grown out of my selfish nature as much
as I thought.
Father…thank you for the reminder that you
love all people and my prayers should reflect the needs of all those around me.
Forgive me for the times that I have prayed selfish prayers just for my own
needs…and left to chance the needs of others. Help me to be more like Paul….counting
all that are around me as important to God….and proving it by lifting them up
in prayer more fervently and passionately. Amen.
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