What you need!

Acts 10:31 
and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.

Have you ever wondered what Cornelius was praying and petitioning God for? The Bible tells us that this man, Cornelius, was a devout man of God; he feared God. He knew who God was, the creator, and he served him faithfully. Cornelius gave to the poor; he helped the needy. And, at the end of the day, Cornelius was found praying to God. But what for?

Maybe he was in need of a breakthrough with the Roman governor. Perhaps Cornelius wasn’t in the position he desired at “work” and was asking God to help him with his future. Haven’t we all been in that situation before? I’m sure, if we’re honest, we’d all confess that we’ve asked God to help us out with our career or school situation.

Maybe that wasn’t it, though. What if Cornelius was praying for healing? That could certainly have been the case. There were many people sick and dying around this time in history. I guess it looked a lot like today. Cornelius could have been praying for a healing in his body for a sickness not mentioned in the Bible. He could have been praying for the healing of a loved one or a neighbor. These sound just like the things that we pray for today!

I guess it doesn’t really matter what it was that Cornelius was praying for since the Bible doesn’t tell us. Maybe it’s not so much that it doesn’t matter, but that it could be anything. I think God wanted us to wonder about what Cornelius was praying for. I think God wanted us to know this fact: Cornelius was a devout man who prayed. But even in all of his praying and doing and service, Cornelius was missing something.

You see, the answer to Cornelius’ prayer, whatever he was praying for, was found in the message that was coming from Peter! While the Bible doesn’t tell us what Cornelius prayed for, the answer to whatever he was praying for was made crystal clear in the message that Peter brought.

Peter never asked Cornelius what he was seeking God for; Peter delivered a message. Peter came into the house of Cornelius, who had invited many friends and relatives over, and began to preach. He didn’t preach a list of things to do; he didn’t preach a way to act. He didn’t preach about sin’s grip on Cornelius’ life. And He didn’t tell Cornelius what he had to do to change. Peter preached on one topic: Jesus Christ.

Here’s the truth hidden in this story: no matter what you’re seeking God for, the answer is Jesus Christ! As simple as that may seem, it’s all too often forgotten. We get tangled up in thinking and worrying about our problem and forget that God has given us The Solution!

Whether it’s a job, a house, a child, or a healing, the answer is Jesus Christ. It’s really quite simple; you’d think we could remember that One thing! Christ tells us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first, then all the other things will be added (Matthew 6:33). This is the message God wanted to get to Cornelius and it’s the message for you today: whatever your problem or concern may be, Jesus Christ is the answer. The more you know about Jesus, the more you seek just Jesus, the more and more your problems will graciously fade away.

Cornelius needed something from God. God knew Cornelius. He knew he was a worker, a prayer, and a giver, but Cornelius was missing the One Good Thing (Luke 10:42) that was the answer to his problems. In His grace, God sent Peter to deliver Jesus to a needy man!