Acts 10:4 – And he, gazing intently at him, became frightened and said, What is it, Lord? And the angel said to him, Your prayers and your [generous] gifts to the poor have come up [as a sacrifice] to God and have been remembered by Him.

Sometimes things right in front of us written in the Bible seem to challenge our predisposed beliefs. Cornelius had to have his own belief system rocked as well when an angel showed up at his house. Shocking enough to see an angel but the message was quite stunning as well. Basically the Lord was telling Cornelius that his prayers had been remembered, they were still active and alive and were about to effect his life as well as the lives of many others. To those who know their Bibles this was a very crucial moment in church history. The nations of the world, not just Israel, were now on God’s radar. The world was about to change and it was connected to the giving and prayers of Cornelius. Here is how the Expositor’s Commentary describes this.

“One day about three in the afternoon, an angel of God appeared to Cornelius in a vision and called him by name. The time element here emphasizes that the vision happened in broad daylight. In response, Cornelius “stared in fear” and could only blurt out the words “What is it, Lord?” While the Greek title kyrios (“Lord”) was used in antiquity for everything from polite address to worshipful acclamation, Cornelius undoubtedly meant it in some sense of worshipful acclaim–even though he might not have had any firm idea of whom he was addressing. In his consternation he heard the reassuring words that his prayers and alms had arisen as a memorial before God…”

This passage is intended to become very personal to each one of us. Cornelius was just another Roman, an officer in the occupying force of Rome in Israel. Needless to say he wasn’t the most popular guy in town. Cornelius had believed in the God of Abraham and his prayers made quite a difference. Our prayers and our giving are just the same. Many of you have sown precious seed into God’s work, He remembers. You have also sought the Lord in prayer and worship and have made many requests to Him, some of which are yet to be answered. He is listens and He is watching our prayers, our offerings, and our ministry. He will respond in ways bigger than you can even imagine, just keep seeking the Lord, one of the Lord’s messengers may just pay you a visit.