Acts 16:9-15 (NRSV)
Read Acts 16:9-15 on biblegateway.com
Verse 9During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." Verse 10When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. Verse 11We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, Verse 12and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. Verse 13On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. Verse 14A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. Verse 15When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us.
Devotion
They went down to the river to pray. That seems like a good idea; a river can be a nice place to express gratitude to God, to worship, to pray. I wonder if there was a moment when they saw someone there and thought of going elsewhere so they could pray in peace, to not disturb or be disturbed.
Perhaps a little companionship and conversation about the grace of God was exactly what the women needed at that moment, though, and perhaps it was exactly what these apostles needed too. It is always a good day to share with someone what you are grateful to God for; it is always a good day to open your hearts to someone new. Maybe today is that very day. Maybe today you can find a place of prayer and have a life changing encounter too.
Prayer
Lord God, you have filled our lives with your grace. Help us find a place to pray today and help those prayers be cause for celebration. Amen.
Interested in digging deeper into today’s text?
Read more here.