Down to the River to Pray

[Darris McNeely] Are you able to pray at all times in all places and expect God to answer your prayer? If not, perhaps there's a lesson for us to learn. I've been teaching the book of Acts to our Ambassador Bible students here at our office in Ohio, and we've been going into Acts chapter 16, which is one of the more fascinating stories of the entire book of Acts, where the Apostle Paul came to the city of Philippi preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God. He went down to the river, it says here in verse 13. It says, "On the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside where prayer was customarily made and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there" (Acts 16:13).

I was telling the students that it's from this story that we get this song and phrase about people who go down to the river to pray. But it was by a riverside, a very calm nature setting. Women praying, people praying. And that's where the Apostle Paul began to do his work in that city. As a result of what he did there and subsequent events, in a few days the Apostle Paul and his partner wound up in jail - interesting part of the story. And while they were in jail it says in verse 25 at midnight Paul and Silas, that's right, were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them (Acts 16:25). Two scenes here: prayer by the riverside and prayer in prison.

One very calm and one quite pressured, quite a bit of pressure. Two different situations, two different scenes, and both were effective, and both were vital. And in both situations God heard. But the Apostle Paul and the members there learned a very important part of their relationship with God as we talk to Him in prayer wherever, whenever, and whenever the need is there to talk to God, asking for help, asking direction, and just praising and worshipping God in the proper way.

We must always and actively seek Him in that. I think that's one of the great lessons for us to learn wherever we go, whether it's at a time of stress or whether it's down by the river.

That's BT Daily. Join us next time.