Today, one of the main reasons why people lose their faith in God is because they think God is not answering their prayers and He is far away from them and is not concerned about them. This makes them upset, and they feel what is the use of praying, fasting, attending prayer meetings etc. Many of God’s people may have been through this phase but let us see what draws God’s attention and makes His favour rest on us.
1. Acts 8:26-39
The Ethiopian eunuch was neither a believer nor did he know about our God of Israel personally, but he had the thirst and zeal to know the God of Israel so he would travel from Ethiopia to Jerusalem in-order to worship the God of Israel and would carry the Bible along with him and one day he was on the way back from Jerusalem to Ethiopia reading the Word of God in his chariot, but he did not understand the inner meaning of the passage. In other words, he did not get the revelation knowledge of the word of God hidden in the scripture. But our God who knows the desires of a person’s heart was highly pleased with Ethiopian eunuchs conduct so God sent an angle to Philip His servant and told him to explain the eunuch the passage which was speaking about Jesus Christ. On hearing the good news about Jesus Christ, the eunuch believed that Jesus Christ is the only Lord and saviour of the world and accepted Him as a personal saviour.
What were the things that drew God’s attention and caused Him to show His favour towards eunuch?
The Ethiopian eunuch was managing the financial matters of Candice the Queen of Ethiopia so definitely the eunuch was well educated, earning good remuneration, a well settled and a busy working influential person. Such a person out of busy schedule would remove time and travel from Ethiopia to Jerusalem for only one purpose that is to worship and seek the one true living God of Israel.
The eunuch would go to worship God to Jerusalem. Besides this while travelling back there was one more that which was done by the eunuch. The Ethiopian eunuch would read the Word of God while travelling instead of passing time in any other activities. It is wonderful that a non-believer would carry the Bible while going to the house of prayer to read the word of God.
Worshipping God whole-heartedly and seeking Him in the word of God by reading the Bible with understanding were the two qualities of eunuch’s life that drew the attention of the Almighty God of Israel from heaven and caused Him to show His favour towards eunuch.
Those people who think that God is not concerned about them and is far away from them and is not hearing their prayers need to learn from this Scripture that in spite of your busy schedule if you remove time to worship God whole-heartedly and read the word of God daily with understanding definitely you will have an encounter with God and soon God will visit you with His favour and you will taste His goodness in the land of the living in His Son our Lord Jesus Christ. Your time that you invest in His Kingdom shall never go in vain. You shall soon receive more than what you have prayed and asked for because our God is a God who blesses beyond our imagination in Christ the King. Amen!
2. Acts 10:1-4
Cornelius was not an ordinary man. He was working as an army commander but like the Ethiopian eunuch he too was also a non-believer and had never known the God of Israel personally but one day God sent an angel to Cornelius with an appreciating message and said to him the things which you are doing in life have come as a memorial before the throne of God so go and call Apostle Peter in your house and he will teach you about Christ. He did as it was commanded to him by God through an angel. As Peter came and preached about Christ, Cornelius and his entire household and people who gathered in his house for prayer believed and accepted that Jesus Christ is Lord God and Saviour of their life and received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
What were the things of his life that drew the attention of God which caused God to visit him with His favour?
Cornelius being a non-believer was never aware about our God and His laws, but he was leading a right and just life in the sight of God. Despite his busy schedule, he had a fixed time for prayer. His certain qualities attracted the attention of the Almighty God causing God’s favour to rest upon him.
- He was a man of prayer.
- He was a generous person who was concerned about the poor and the needy people.
- The most important thing was that he and his entire household were leading a God-fearing life.
These are the good deeds of Cornelius which came before the throne of God which caused God to show His favour and visit him and his household with His salvation.
My dear people of God, our God does not show partiality or favouritism like man. He is a right and just God. Eunuch and Cornelius both were non-believers who did not know about our God personally but God Himself came in search of them and revealed Himself to them and blessed them. How much more God will show His favour towards His chosen people who are under the new covenant provided if you do the things that Ethiopian eunuch and Cornelius did in the sight of God! You too will find favour of God and will be blessed abundantly in Christ the King! Your prayers won’t go unanswered, and your prayers will draw God’s attention and you shall be highly blessed, rewarded and favoured in Christ the King. Amen!