God's Leading Indicator!
Reflection: In the financial world one of the principles of economics is called a “leading indicator”. A leading indicator is a sign of future economic prosperity. For instance, when the unemployment rate goes up it is a sign that our economy may be headed for a downturn. Hopefully our current leading indicators are signs that our economy is headed in the right direction.
One of the leading indicators of a movement of God is prayer. When Paul and Silas wanted to go to the place where God was moving, they went to the place of prayer. On this particular day when they went to the place of prayer there was a woman who had a spirit of divination and was making a good bit of money by predicting things. When she saw Paul she realized his authority and started annoying him and causing a commotion in the marketplace. When Paul discerned her spirit was not of the Lord, he rebuked it in Jesus’ authority and the spirit left her. When her owners discovered it they were mad they lost their profit making machine.
Soon thereafter Paul and Silas were thrown into the jail, as the city officials didn’t want the commotion and turmoil. But what did Paul and Silas turn to? Singing and prayer! And soon enough an earthquake shook the jail cell and they were set free. We see as we go through the books of Acts the correlation between when the believers gathered and prayed, a power was released to empower their mission. Prayer was a leading indicator of the “missional” movement of God and nothing can stand in its way!
Where are the “places of prayer” in your church or community? If you don’t have one, why don’t you create one? As we seek the will and power of God in prayer, it will be a leading indicator of God’s kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If this was true in the 1st century, why would it not be true today? Every modern day revival started when a group of people gathered and committed to pray until they saw God move.
Psalm 18:1-6
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1 I love you, Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
1 Chronicles 25
The Musicians
25 David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals. Here is the list of the men who performed this service: 2 From the sons of Asaph: Zakkur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were under the supervision of Asaph, who prophesied under the king’s supervision.
3 As for Jeduthun, from his sons: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six in all, under the supervision of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied, using the harp in thanking and praising the Lord. 4 As for Heman, from his sons: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael and Jerimoth; Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-Ezer; Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir and Mahazioth. 5 (All these were sons of Heman the king’s seer. They were given him through the promises of God to exalt him. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.) 6 All these men were under the supervision of their father for the music of the temple of the Lord, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king. 7 Along with their relatives—all of them trained and skilled in music for the Lord—they numbered 288. 8 Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots for their duties. 9 The first lot, which was for Asaph, fell to Joseph, his sons and relatives 12 the second to Gedaliah, him and his relatives and sons 12
10 the third to Zakkur his sons and relatives 1211 the fourth to Izri, his sons and relatives 12
12 the fifth to Nethaniah,his sons and relatives 12 13 the sixth to Bukkiah,
his sons and relatives 12 14 the seventh to Jesarelah, his sons and relatives 12 15 the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and relatives 12 16 the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and relatives 12
17 the tenth to Shimei his sons and relatives 1218 the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and relative 12 19 the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and relatives 12 20 the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons and relative 12
21 the fourteenth to Mattithiah, his sons and relatives 12 22 the fifteenth to Jerimoth, his sons and relatives 12 23 the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons and relatives 12 24 the seventeenth to Joshbekashah,
his sons and relatives 12 25 the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons and relatives 12 26 the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons and relatives 12 27 the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons and relatives 12 28 the twenty-first to Hothir, his sons and relatives 12 9 the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons and relatives 12 30 the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons and relatives 12 31 the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer, his sons and relatives 12
Acts 16:16-29
Paul and Silas in Prison
16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. 19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
The Lord gives grace to the humble. Proverbs 3:34 (NIV)
Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant. Matthew 20:26
Son of God, we humbly come before you this day thanking you for bringing us through another week. May whatever we do this day be a reflection of you. May we experience your holy presence guiding us to serve our brothers, sisters, and strangers in your name. Amen.
One of the leading indicators of a movement of God is prayer. When Paul and Silas wanted to go to the place where God was moving, they went to the place of prayer. On this particular day when they went to the place of prayer there was a woman who had a spirit of divination and was making a good bit of money by predicting things. When she saw Paul she realized his authority and started annoying him and causing a commotion in the marketplace. When Paul discerned her spirit was not of the Lord, he rebuked it in Jesus’ authority and the spirit left her. When her owners discovered it they were mad they lost their profit making machine.
Soon thereafter Paul and Silas were thrown into the jail, as the city officials didn’t want the commotion and turmoil. But what did Paul and Silas turn to? Singing and prayer! And soon enough an earthquake shook the jail cell and they were set free. We see as we go through the books of Acts the correlation between when the believers gathered and prayed, a power was released to empower their mission. Prayer was a leading indicator of the “missional” movement of God and nothing can stand in its way!
Where are the “places of prayer” in your church or community? If you don’t have one, why don’t you create one? As we seek the will and power of God in prayer, it will be a leading indicator of God’s kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If this was true in the 1st century, why would it not be true today? Every modern day revival started when a group of people gathered and committed to pray until they saw God move.
Psalm 18:1-6
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1 I love you, Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
1 Chronicles 25
The Musicians
25 David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals. Here is the list of the men who performed this service: 2 From the sons of Asaph: Zakkur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were under the supervision of Asaph, who prophesied under the king’s supervision.
3 As for Jeduthun, from his sons: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six in all, under the supervision of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied, using the harp in thanking and praising the Lord. 4 As for Heman, from his sons: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael and Jerimoth; Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-Ezer; Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir and Mahazioth. 5 (All these were sons of Heman the king’s seer. They were given him through the promises of God to exalt him. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.) 6 All these men were under the supervision of their father for the music of the temple of the Lord, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king. 7 Along with their relatives—all of them trained and skilled in music for the Lord—they numbered 288. 8 Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots for their duties. 9 The first lot, which was for Asaph, fell to Joseph, his sons and relatives 12 the second to Gedaliah, him and his relatives and sons 12
10 the third to Zakkur his sons and relatives 1211 the fourth to Izri, his sons and relatives 12
12 the fifth to Nethaniah,his sons and relatives 12 13 the sixth to Bukkiah,
his sons and relatives 12 14 the seventh to Jesarelah, his sons and relatives 12 15 the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and relatives 12 16 the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and relatives 12
17 the tenth to Shimei his sons and relatives 1218 the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and relative 12 19 the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and relatives 12 20 the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons and relative 12
21 the fourteenth to Mattithiah, his sons and relatives 12 22 the fifteenth to Jerimoth, his sons and relatives 12 23 the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons and relatives 12 24 the seventeenth to Joshbekashah,
his sons and relatives 12 25 the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons and relatives 12 26 the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons and relatives 12 27 the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons and relatives 12 28 the twenty-first to Hothir, his sons and relatives 12 9 the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons and relatives 12 30 the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons and relatives 12 31 the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer, his sons and relatives 12
Acts 16:16-29
Paul and Silas in Prison
16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. 19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
The Lord gives grace to the humble. Proverbs 3:34 (NIV)
Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant. Matthew 20:26
Son of God, we humbly come before you this day thanking you for bringing us through another week. May whatever we do this day be a reflection of you. May we experience your holy presence guiding us to serve our brothers, sisters, and strangers in your name. Amen.
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