My father-in-law’s middle name is Cornelius. However,
it was a while before I learned that as he is just not thrilled with it.
But, he should be. Cornelius, of Acts 10, was called a “devout man who
venerated God and treated Him with reverential obedience.” And his
example was so great that his entire household’s members were identified as
doing the same.
What caught me, though, as I read the passage in the
Amplified Bible was verse 4, “Your prayers and your [generous] gifts to the
poor have come up [as a sacrifice] to God and have been remembered by
Him.” The NLT says his prayers and gifts were received by God as an
offering.
God not only sees our monetary gifts to His work and the
needy as an offering, but to Him our prayers are a sweet sacrifice as
well. Both involve surrender. Always remember that the prayers we
take time to pray are pictured as the sweet incense rising continually before
His throne.
He knows what we give up to pray. He knows it is a
sacrifice to say “no” to other appealing even good or needy things to pray in
our own quiet times or corporately with others.
But, the world does not view the “work” we do as God
does. They may chide us for not participating in a school/sport activity
or volunteering at the school carnival or in the classroom. Even those in
our church may not understand when God’s call necessitates us to say “no.”
The work we do is eternal. It is gold that will not be
destroyed in the day of testing. Our fervent persistent prayers often
mean the difference between life and death—today and for eternity. They
certainly did for imprisoned Peter (Acts 12).
May you stand out to God as did Cornelius. God brought
Peter to this Gentile and his household, and as a result, the Holy Spirit fell
on them with a powerful manifestation surprising all who were witnesses.
You go girls!!
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