Prayer and Alms

Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter [Act 10:1-5]

God sends an angel to Cornelius, a devout man who loves God. The angel instructs Cornelius to send for Peter. Cornelius sends messengers to Peter, and God tells Peter to go to Caesarea the next day. Cornelius falls to his feet when Peter arrives. Peter lifts him up and says, “Stand up. I too am a man.” Peter preaches about Jesus, and the Holy Spirit falls upon Cornelius and his household. “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.” The church accepts Gentiles into the church for the first time.

The Christian Church was formed around Jesus and His followers; all of them were Jewish. Cornelius’ faith was responsible for allowing Gentiles to become Christians without conforming to Jewish requirements. Cornelius’ faith opened the door for people like us to believe in Jesus Christ. What made Cornelius so different? What made God seek out Cornelius among all the other Gentiles? His prayer and gifts to the poor.

Cornelius was a man of faith. He was devout. He looked solely to God; however, among all his acts of faith, his prayer pleased God the most. Cornelius “prayed to God regularly.” His prayers so moved God, He sent an angel to Cornelius, which opened the way to salvation for all of us. We have no idea how precious prayer can be! Prayer can be an easy way to solve our most complex problems. We can try all kinds of things to stay warm (build a fire, house, etc.), but if we pray, God solves this problem by sending spring. That’s the power of prayer! Instead of trying to do things on our own, exert that same effort into prayer. Effective prayer can simplify our lives.

Next, Cornelius gave many alms to the poor. He gave to those who were less well-off. We must work hard so that we can provide for those in need. The Bible says giving to others is our way of planting seeds. “Whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” Giving to others is our way of serving God. God says He gives us enough for ourselves and others. In other words, what God gives us is not just for ourselves. Ask yourself, “How much do I give to others? How much do I use for myself?” How much have you used on yourself and your family? How much have you used for others? Sadly, some people use everything they have for themselves. How can God bless a person when he or she is stealing what belongs to others? And some people spend their entire lives on others. They don’t think of themselves. They live and sacrifice themselves for the good of others. People in church strive to lead this kind of life.

Cornelius moved God by his fervent prayer and spirit of giving. His devout faith opened the way for Gentiles to become a part of the church. We are forever indebted to Cornelius, and we must remember what He did to please God. He prayed regularly and gave many alms.

Summary