Today’s Scripture Threshing for Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Today’s Text: Acts 12:6-17
Key Verse: Acts 12:14 (ESV): ”Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate.”
I remember the populous story of a poor boy who went to a city’s open prayer rally with an umbrella. There’s been drought for more than a year and the community was desperate for rain. The people gathered at the king’s command to gather at the town center to cry out to God. At then end of the day, God sent a heavy shower; but only an umbrella was present, which a poor boy had brought.
No doubt, we are instant and earnest in prayer; triggered by any slight signal to cry out to God; but we always seem slothful in faith. We need to learn the faith dimension of Rhoda. Don’t we pray because we believe in the power of God to save and deliver? This morning’s narrative demonstrates how God’s power was unleashed because God’s people prayed. We are left without doubt that they were full of doubt about the fact that God can or will answer them.
However, we are thankful that there was (most likely) a slave girl named Rhoda among them, who joined other believers in constant prayer for Peter. By her status, she was probably one of the last people you would have noticed or named as present at the prayer meeting; but for her faith. She trusted in the Lord God of the apostles and prayed differently. She may have been watching for the door. She may have been the only person in the prayer vigil who at that time actually believed the testimony of our Lord in Mark 11:24 that “Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Rhoda had a blind faith. She only needed to recognize Peter's voice. She didn’t need to check him up to believe God had answered their prayers. The phrase “blind faith” May pose a problem to some people, especially those who perceive it as a negative, disparaging term to describe anyone who believes in God. However, what this means is believing God while lacking true understanding, perception, or eliminating reason or discrimination. I lack a description for what was in the heart of the rest of the people who prayed for Peter that night, but for Rhoda, hers was a heart full of expectation. She runs immediately to share the good news with the others, who unexpectedly doubted her.
Are you trusting God for anything today, which seems too difficult or impossible? Don’t be an unbelieving believer. But be like Rhoda. Don’t let environment or reason shrink your faith. Pray like Rhoda. Watch out for the door. Shun diminutive, sickly system of today’s embellished faith. Be full of expectation. That was how Rhoda prayed. That the was how Jesus taught His disciples to pray (Mark 11:24). They could not think that fig-tree should so soon wither away while Christ spoke, but that’s exactly how our prayer works when we pray believing that God already had answered while we pray.
Quote for the Day: “Faith puts Rhoda at the door watching for Peter’s knock. Faith was all ready to welcome him back without a check.” (Simon Olatunji)
Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive me for not believing you enough in every single part of my life. Fan my tiny smoldering little spark of faith into a burning and consuming fire that will bring you glory and drive out doubt’s darkness. I believe in you, Lord; please help my unbelief! In Jesus name. Amen.
With all my Love and Prayer,
Simon Wale Olatunji, PhD
The Darling Bishop (DaBishop),
2321 S Belt Line Rd., Suite 144,
Grand Prairie TX 75051 USA
Email: reachingout@hopeforallnations.org
BBMme: E3F988D2
[Today’s Scripture Threshing is a devotional guide of The House of Prayer Evangel Church USA. Feel free to use it in your family altar and personal quiet times; and to contact us for further enquiry, help and partnership.]
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