Acts 10:3-8 NIV

One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!" Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea." When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

At about 3pm. This isn’t a coincidence. This is divine providence. We’ve heard this before. The King James Version refers to this time as the “ninth hour”. Again there is a resounding redundancy to the scriptures here. Again to go forward we return to the past.

Matthew 27:46

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Sound familiar? Maybe this is a bit more fresh and current…

Acts 3:1

“Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.”

The “ninth hour” is a time of prayer. It was the time of the evening sacrifice for the people of Israel. It probably takes on a more notable time as we see it as the greatest time of suffering for Christ as He hung from the cross crying out to the Father. It was the ninth hour that Elijah prayed to God against the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel and God answered by fire. It was the ninth hour when Ezra prayed a great prayer of confession and intercession and God answered by sending a nationwide revival. It was the ninth hour when Daniel prayed and God sent the angel Gabriel to answer his prayer. It was the ninth hour that Peter and John were praying and God answered in the form of the first miracle of the New Testament Church. Even now so we see Cornelius praying in the ninth hour and God answered by sending an angel…

It was the ninth hour that we find Cornelius in prayer. The power of prayer is immeasurable. It is deep and wide. It reaches as far as the eye can see and then beyond. Prayer bends, shapes, and mold men/women to the will of God. Prayer unblocks the connection between what you want and what God wants for you. Many of us don’t like prayer because it most certainly leads to death of self. We are our own greatest enemy, and yet we are looking over our shoulders? And for what? There are things far worse than devils and demons in the heart of man. Prayer can rid you of this, but it will require a submission few ever seek.