HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT MY GIVING AFFECTS MY PRAYING? When I was a new Christian, I believed my giving and my praying were totally separate activities. Then one day, GOD opened my eyes to see that everything we do for the LORD is linked together. For many years, I agreed with the theologians about prayer. I thought either GOD would answer a prayer request, or it would go into a golden vial, awaiting the end of time when GOD would pour it out [see Revelation 5:8; 8:4]. While this is what I believed the Bible taught, it surely did not give me much comfort. However, when I began to understand what the angel told Cornelius in the book of Acts, I realized there was a third possibility. The story of Cornelius totally changed my perspective. His praying affected his giving, and his giving affected his praying. When he merged these two activities, it was as if a spiritual explosion took place. There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house which gave much alms to the people and prayed to GOD always. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of GOD coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, what is it, LORD? And he said unto him, “Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before GOD [Acts 10:1-4]. As you can see, Cornelius had been crying out to GOD. He had also been giving generously. While these two things might have been separate in Cornelius’ mind, they certainly were not separate in GOD’S mind. The angel told Cornelius that GOD viewed his praying and giving [alms] as something bigger than praying alone, and bigger than giving alone. They had merged before GOD to become a memorial. Read these further words from the Scripture. And Cornelius said, four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour, I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing. And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are held in remembrance in the sight of GOD. [Acts 10:30-31]. Because of Cornelius’s giving and praying, his request was permanently suspended in the presence of GOD. It hung there awaiting GOD’S speedy answer. (Author Unknown)
Posted on: Thu, 04 Jul 2013 14:46:42 +0000
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