Do you have a cell phone? If you do, and you probably do, you also have an alarm feature on your phone. I’d like to make a suggestion regarding that alarm. Set it for 2:42 p.m. every day.
Acts 2:42 reads, “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
We all understand that this process describes the beginning of the Church on Jerusalem. We may also understand that the four activities listed there (teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer) are essential items for the exponential growth of the early church. And by inference, the growth of our own churches today.
The phrase “continually devoting themselves” is actually one word in Greek (proskartereō) and found only here and in Acts 1:14. Both include prayer as a primary activity people were devoted to.
Finding time to pray can be difficult with our busy schedules. We often feel like we need 30 minutes of dedicated time to pray. But what if we took just four minutes and 20 seconds to pray at 2:42 pm?
Many working people may be ready for a coffee break around 2:42 pm. Maybe a little before or a little after. I would suggest that you use less than five minutes of your time to pray daily, even on the weekends. The time might vary slightly based on your activities, but using your cell phone alarm (probably a silent vibration alarm at work!) can help you develop a disciple of daily prayer.
What should you pray about at 2:42 pm? First, I would suggest praying about the other three items mentioned in Acts 2:42 – things that you have recently learned (teaching), friendships (fellowship), and your community (breaking bread).
What you have learned may come from a personal devotion that day, or a sermon; the sky’s the limit. Friendships include family members, co-workers, neighbors, whomever. Community can include your city, government leaders, and the non-Christians you are making friends with.
Secondly, sometimes I simply pray about what’s going on at the very moment my alarm goes off. We have no specific information about what the Acts 1 & 2 Communities were praying about, just that they were praying.
How about joining me? Set your cell phone alarm for 2:42 pm daily and let’s start praying daily. If you do set that alarm, drop a comment in the comment link below (a link not a box). I’d love to know who’s praying with me!
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Photo by Andrey Grushnikov from Pexels
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