Today's devotion from The Fasting Edge is so good, I'm just going to give you most of that today. Also I want to make Kevin some potatoes with onions and peppers before church.
"Sometimes you can pray for something, but you don't see the answer right away Keep praying. Don't let go of your faith, and do not cast aside your confidence! It may be that the thing you are praying for is just not ready or in God's timing yet. Your prayers will not be ignored or discarded. Prayers don't have an expiration date.
The Book of Revelation even refers to bowls of incense collected in heaven that are the prayers of the saints. Daniel had been fasting and praying for three weeks when the angel of the Lord appeared to him, explaining how his prayers had been heard in heaven since the first day, but the answer had been delayed:
Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come." Daniel 10:12-14
Acts chapter 10 is one of the most powerful chapters in the Bible. Prior to the events detailed in that chapter, only the Jews had received the good news of the gospel and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But everything changed when one man's hunger and persistence penetrated heaven . Peter went up on the roof of his friend Simon's house to pray. He was hungry because it was lunchtime. But once again, when man was thinking about sinking his teeth into a big juicy steak, God had a far different plan for lunch.
One day earlier, an angel visited a devout Italian man who loved God. The man's prayers and giving had come up as a memorial before God. He was a Gentile, but he and his household believed in God and wanted to know Him. At the end of four days of prayer, and perhaps even fasting, the angel of the Lord appeared to this man named Cornelius and told him to send for a man named Peter. Cornelius's men headed out and arrived the next day while Peter was on the roof - receiving a vision and food of all things. God was using food to show Peter that He desired to pour out His Spirit on all flesh, including the Gentiles. The Gentiles included every one who was not of Jewish descent and were long considered by Jewish law to be unclean.
Two men, miles apart, became connected by hunger. Cornelius was praying with a hunger for God. Peter was on a roof at lunchtime receiving a message from God about food instead of chowing down on lunch.
One man was seeking; one man had the answer. Both men were praying, and a connection was made. Before they ever met physically, their prayers met in heaven. I think that is so powerful! Cornelius was storing up prayer in heaven. The next day the Spirit of the Lord prepared Peter for his role in what had already been decreed in heaven. When Peter went up on that roof to pray at lunchtime, God made the prayer connection, opening the door of salvation to the Gentiles.
I want you to understand that heaven has kindgdom connections for you. When you pray, your prayers plug into God's connection of plans, resources, and power in heaven. All over this world there are connections that God is setting up - things we have no idea about, but by simply following the prompting of the Holy Spirit's call to fast, we take part in divinely orchestrated connections.
Notice that Cornelius's prayers "sizzled" in heaven for awhile before the connection came to pass. In fact, the angel even told him that his prayers and generosity had come up as a memorial before God.
I'm ready for some kingdom connections, aren't you? Have a blessed day.
Lori
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