Acts
16: 16 – 40 (TLB)
As co-labourers in His
vineyard whom the Lord has called in this end-time revival labour for His
Kingdom and His glory, there are diverse revelations that the Spirit of God is
opening to us through the above scriptures and wanting us to pray concerning
these for our lives:
· What led to Paul and Silas being tortured and
imprisoned - verses 16-18.
· Verses
22-23a - But why whip them if they were going to be jailed? Does
this ring a bell? This same punishment was accorded to our master Jesus (John 19:1; Mark 15:15; which was
predicted earlier in Isaiah 53:3).
· But let us see God at work – Verses 25-34 – If God did not permit
Paul and Silas to be thrown into the prison, how could the jailer, his
household and perhaps, other prisoners be saved and become believers?
·
Verses
35-38 “…we are Roman citizens...”
ü Why
did Paul not declare this in verse 20
when they were accused as ‘these Jews’?
ü Why
did he not exercise his rights there and then in verse 20 when he was wrongly accused?
ü Why
did he allow the maltreatment of being stripped, beaten and thrown into prison
if he was a Roman citizen?
Prayers - Philippians 2:5-8.
· Lord Jesus, as a carrier of Your life, I
thank You that You humbly laid down and gave up all Your rights – for the glory
ahead – for all mankind. Help us like Your men-labourers, Paul and Silas, to forsake
all our rights and position for Your glory and purpose. Help us Holy Spirit, as
Your labourers, to be ready to endure persecution and judgement in order to
gain souls and believers for Your kingdom.
· Only the man/woman touched by the Cross will
surrender his rights in order to gain others. Let the humility of Jesus reign
inside of us, so that we are ready to do the bidding of Him whom we carry, than
to exercise our earthly or temporal rights; let us be content with the joy of
the rights that Christ has made available for us in heaven.
· Holy Spirit, deaden us as co-labourers in
Christ Jesus to feel indifferent to all earthly rights, in order to gain our
heavenly treasures that awaits us above; help us to keep knowing that Christ
laid all for us and so we must imitate Him while we await His coming.
“Again
and again the rods slashed down across their bared backs; and afterwards they
were thrown into prison…” [verse 23]
2
Corinthians 4:10-11
· Help us our Saviour Jesus to know that these
dying bodies are not of importance to You, it is only useful now because
You dwell within it; take away from our minds every fear of what happens to these
weak bodies in the labours that You have set before us, and help us to know
that serving You – is all that matters.
· Whether we are living or dying, give us, You
our Redeemer, the daily confident assurance, that as labourers - living for You
matters more than claiming all the rights in the world. Therefore, help us Holy
Spirit to sacrifice all our rights for Jesus – sowing it to gain lives for Him,
knowing that one day He will return to reap great harvest. Halleluiah!
“…as
Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to the Lord…” [Verse 25] - They
were not murmuring, not complaining, not claiming their rights nor defending
their rights. Why? Because He that lives in them was their defence – they
became dead to their rights and were alive and satisfied with Christ who was in
them, the hope of glory!
· Amidst the trials, tribulations and
persecution which come our way in the labour that You have committed into our
hands, O Lord, let us see You, our living Saviour; help us to behold Your glory
and give us the grace to endure. Give unto us Your patience, let every spirit
of hastiness to reject every reproach, be removed and terminated at the place
of the Cross, so that You are able to accomplish Your divine purpose.
“But Paul replied, “Oh no they don’t!
They have publicly beaten us without trials and jailed us – and we are Roman
citizens”! [Verse 37] Paul
used his citizenship as a Roman to play the last trump (last card) in order to
win and gain souls for God. He waited for the right time to use his right as a
citizen. Even though in Macedonia he could not save all, he still saved some!
1 Corinthians 9:15-20
· Lord Jesus, as co-labourers with You, help us
to know that necessity is laid upon us to labour with/for You like brother Paul
declared; help us not to abuse Your power by demanding for any rights or
privileges. Holy Spirit, with all humility, help us to be happy and satisfied
with being a slave labourer of Jesus, with the main purpose of drawing men to
Christ.
· Spirit of God, consecrate our hearts and
change our perspectives, so that we can find common ground with as many diverse
men (no matter their spiritual levels and differences) by preaching Christ to
them and they accepting the embrace of salvation from Jesus, so that more men
may be gained for Christ.
· As labourers with You and inside You, forbid it
Lord that we should boast unto any man (saved or unsaved) except that which the
Cross has completed in our lives; and so help us as Your Kingdom labourers to
be ready to lose our earthly citizenship rights for the heavenly citizenship
which You have birthed us into and the rights and privileges available to us
all.
Join this HeartCry Prayer - Every Friday 12:30pm - 1:25pm (UK time)
Join this HeartCry Prayer - Every Friday 12:30pm - 1:25pm (UK time)
