Is it me or have we been praying day after day and week after week for peace in our world and for peace on our streets? So what is going on here? Are our prayers being heard? Do our prayers make a difference? Is there any point to prayer?
Paul and Silas were in Philippi. They had come to this Roman city to tell the people about Jesus. They were doing the work of God. As they moved through the streets of Philippi they encountered a slave woman who was possessed by an evil spirit. Her owners used her to make money. She was marketed as a seer of hidden mysteries, a type of fortune teller.
Paul turned to her and addressed her demon, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And in that moment she was set free from the evil spirit. And in that moment, the owners had lost their meal ticket. The next thing you know Paul and Silas were attacked by a mob, arrested, and made an appearance before a judge. They were stripped of their clothing, beaten with rods, and flogged. Then they were thrown into a cell deep in the bowels of the prison. There they sat with their feet in the stocks.
Come with me now. Let’s see if we can find them. It is dark and damp. We can hear the cries of other prisoners. There they are, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25
People of hope, pray. People of hope look beyond their current circumstances and yearn for a better tomorrow. People of hope do not understand how God is working to answer their prayers; in fact, they are not always sure that God is working at all. And yet, people of hope, pray.
This Sunday in worship we are going to be talking a lot about prayer. We are going to be asking some difficult questions about prayer. How do we pray, and does it really make a difference?
This Sunday at TLC we are also going to be eating lots of blueberries. I am visiting our friends at “Mutiny Bay Blues” on Saturday and picking up a tasty, healthy treat for you.
I hope to see you this Sunday! You will be blue if you skip church, and I will be blue if I don’t see you.
Love,
Pastor Jim
