Oct 24, 2019: SOAP #3612 (from Oct 24, 2014, #1786):  Job 15; Acts 19-20

Scripture:  Acts 20:36 When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

Observation:   Paul had just given them some farewell words of encouragement.  In a few minutes he would be boarding a ship and starting his journey back to Jerusalem.  But before leaving, they prayed together.

Application:   It has always seemed appropriate to include prayer in “good-bye” times.  It is a way of acknowledging that God is in control of the “comings” and “goings” of our lives.  I remember my wife, my parents and my brother praying for me in the airport just before boarding the plane for Viet Nam.  I remember the prayers of the Bayview Chapel congregation in the Honolulu Airport as we were leaving to pastor in Kansas.

In prayer we entrust those we love into the hands of God for His protection, His guidance, and His provision.   It is a good way of saying we have done all we can do and now they are in God’s hands. (Parents, be sure you pray for your children as they leave home at key times in their lives.  May your prayers be strong in their minds as they move out into the world.  Give they something to remember!)

Prayer:   Heavenly Father, thank you for the special people who prayed for me when I was leaving.  And thank you for the opportunities I have had to pray for others when they were leaving.  Acknowledging your presence in these times brings peace and comfort.  Holy Spirit, embolden parents to bless their children with their audible prayers.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!