Pray For Direction in All Situations

[Act 13:1-12 NIV] 1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. 4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper. 6 They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7 who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10 "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? 11 Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun." Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

Seleucia is a Syrian city on the Mediterranean coast, five miles north of the Orontes River and fifteen miles from Antioch.[1]

Cyprus is a large island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.[2]

Salamis is the most important city of Cyprus, located on its east coast and containing one Jewish synagogue.[3]

A synagogue required a quorum of ten adult Jewish males.[4]

During the life of Jesus, he could be found praying to God. The example set was for us as well. In the passage above, the members are fasting and praying for who to send when the answer comes. The two selected are prayed for with all placing their hands on them.

What about you? Do you pray that your feet are moving in a direction favorable to God? They were met with oppostion, but with God's grace the battle was won. The proconsul became a believer. Seek God before moving about the battle field.

Bibliography

Brisco, Thomas and Lucas P. Grimsley. “Cyprus.” In Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 376. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015.

Dodd, R. Adam, Robert J. Dean, Charles W. Draper, and Chad Brand. In Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 1516-1520. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015.

“Salamis.” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 1402. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015.

“Seleucia.” In Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 1426. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015.

Toussaint, Stanley D. “Acts.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament, edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, 349-432. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 1984.

[1] “Seleucia,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 1426.

[2] Thomas V. Brisco and Lucas P. Grimsley, “Cyprus,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 376.

[3] “Salamis,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 1402.

[4] R. Adam Dodd, Robert J. Dean, Charles W. Draper, and Chad Brand, “Synagogue,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 1516.