Focus on Opportunities – The Presidential Prayer Team

It is not for you to know times and seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. – Acts 1:7

The prophet Zechariah proclaimed “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming… And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives” (14:1, NKJV). The Israelites had endured centuries of occupation by brutal overlords, and they anxiously looked for the day when the Lord would come and set up His kingdom as the prophets had spoken. The disciples were no different, but Jesus’ answer came to them just moments before He ascended into Heaven.

It was not the time for them to know or experience the kingdom of God in the physical way they expected. God is always at work, but the fact is that most times His control is not visible. At the time of the Exodus, God actually broke into time and space “to set his unmistakable imprint on events” (Dr. Lawrence O. Richards).

Another significant event occurred when Jesus stepped into history as the Savior of the world. Thereafter, those who experience a new birth in Him are joined with Him in a unique way. The King is “present though disguised” within the believer. His presence means that God’s unmatched power can find supernatural expression in and through the believer’s life (Richards).

Times in your life may be peaceful or troubled, but remember that God holds all your times in His hand. Your job is to focus on the opportunities He has laid before you. Ask Him to guide you by His wisdom. Be a witness for Jesus – taking every opportunity to share about your new life with Christ. And pray for those in this nation who are troubled because they don’t know the Savior, for leaders who have forgotten or have turned from the faith they once knew.

Today’s Verse: Acts 1:7

He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. ²For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. ⁴But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. ⁵For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. ⁶So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. ⁷For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. ⁸But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. ¹¹Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.