"And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till [we were] out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed.” (Ac 21:5 AV)
This impromptu prayer meeting was the result of deep concern for the life of Paul. Paul was on his way to Jerusalem. He wished to be a relief to the saints who were there. The concern was twofold. First, Paul was not called as an Apostle to the Jews. His field was the Gentiles. Second, he had been warned twice that going to Jerusalem meant capture and perhaps death. God had called him to Rome. He was on his way there, but desired to stop off at Jerusalem. The prayer meeting above was in response to this situation. In reading the account and another similar warning, I was struck with the reality that God never directly told Paul to avoid Jerusalem. The saints were wise enough to know that if Paul went, he would be bound and sent to Rome to face judgment of death from Caesar. Regardless of motive or purpose, this had to be a scene to behold. There on the shore, the family of God all dropped to their knees and held a public and impromptu prayer meeting. It is about time that the people of God today had the courage to do the same.
The LORD really convicted me about this years ago. I had been saved for a couple of years, and a bunch of us single adults went to a restaurant to eat. I had been out to eat before that, and my dinner prayer was usually very brief and almost always silent. This time was different. The Spirit convicted me about being public with public prayer. So, seeing we had a crowd and a soft voice would not do it, I prayed for the meal loud enough for most of the dining room to hear me. What one expected and what happened were not the same. When I was done and lifted my head, I expected the room to cast stares or scornful looks at me for doing something sacred in a public place. The response was actually the opposite. During my prayer, I thanked the LORD for salvation and gave the plan for it at the same time. I thanked the LORD for who and what He is. Then I asked Him to bless the food and fellowship. Surely there would be a cross look. There must be a frown or two. Not so. Most ignored us. Those who did not had looks of respect. Some even appreciated the prayer. What I discovered is that the saints need not be shy about public prayer. As long as it is not manipulative and it is sincere, the public does not mind most of the time. If the saints are praying for themselves or the work of God among them, the lost public doesn’t react the way we would think.
The need of the hour was pressing. Their beloved Apostle was going into harm's way. They did all they could do to persuade him to consider a different course of action. The desperation of the hour moved them to ignore the public’s reaction. The severity of the next few months was nothing in comparison to the need for prayer at that moment. They did all they could do. Now it was time to pray! We wonder what it would take for the United States and the rest of the world to turn to Jesus Christ. We are trying everything. We are hyping programs and events that preach the gospel. We send out emails, text messages, and Facebook posts. We are not desperate enough! What the political world calls ‘woke’ is not ‘woke’ at all. It is unapologetic rebellion against the Creator. By framing it politically, it becomes less severe. But thumbing the nose at God only results in the summoning of the wrath of the Creator! We are not desperate enough. Our nation, like all others, will be swallowed up by the Messiah. The King of kings will rule over all nations. A change of government is coming, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. What we can do is pray. Pray for revival before the LORD returns! Pray that the souls of the lost would turn to the Savior! Pray that hell becomes a bit less crowded. Pray! Pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands. Pray in public. Let the world see that we love them and that we care. Pray!
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