Coincidence
By Grant Gaines
A coincidence, according to Webster’s dictionary is, “a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection.”
A coincidence is when you drive up to the very front row of a jam packed shopping mall on Black Friday just as a car is pulling out of the closest spot. A coincidence is when you run into your long lost college friend at a restaurant that you and your family decided to try out that evening. A coincidence is when you turn on your radio just as the station starts to play your favorite song. Our lives are full of coincidences.
A coincidence, however, is not really a, “…remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection.” We who are Christians believe that a “coincidence” is simply a word that the secular world uses to describe when God is at work. You see, at the end of the day, there really is no such thing as luck, coincidences, or chance. Instead, we believe the truth that Proverbs 16:33 (NLT) teaches us-” We may throw the dice, but the LORD determines how they fall.” In other words, God’s finger prints are all over every circumstance.
Sometimes His handiwork is obvious such as the miraculous resurrection of Lazarus in John 11 or Jesus walking on the water in Matthew 14. At other times, however, God chooses to orchestrate circumstances from afar as if He were a puppeteer. It is these moments when we don’t directly see God that the world tends to label as “lucky” or “coincidences.”
We see three such instances throughout the book of Acts. All three instances begin with the apostles searching out a place to pray only to be met with an incredible opportunity to minister and share the Gospel. And to make matters even better, all three stories (Acts 3:1-26 ; 16:11-15; 16:16-33) end not just with one person being radically changed by the love of Christ (which by itself would be worthy of an eternal applause) but rather entire crowds and households surrendering to the freedom that Jesus offers.
The results of these “coincidences” are incredible. But rather than focusing on the results of these “coincidences”, I want to zero in on the causes.
Peter and John cured a man who was parlayed from birth. Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke led an influential woman named Lidia and her entire household to faith. And last but certainly not least, Paul and Silas were delivered from a physical prison all while showing the jail keeper and his entire family how they could be delivered from a spiritual prison. All these miracles are incredible but all three miracles were sparked by the same source-prayer. That’s right, all three stories begin by specifically recording that these apostles were seeking a place to pray before these ministry opportunities occurred (Acts 3:1; 16:13; 16:16).
It’s incredible that when these men set their hearts on seeking the Lord in prayer that jaw dropping miracles and conversions happened, isn’t it?
Why don’t we see as many miracles today as we did in the Bible? Maybe it’s because we as His people aren’t as faithful in seeking His face in prayer. Why isn’t the church today as effective as it was in the book of Acts? Maybe instead of blaming God for not being as present or powerful as He “used to be,” we should instead compare out dedication to prayer with that of the early church who would regularly pray and fast for weeks on end until God moved.
You see, none of those circumstances that we read about in the book of Acts are “coincidences,” but rather God-ordained opportunities that were orchestrated by God through the prayers of His people.
Do you want to see change in your life? “Devote yourself to prayer, be watchful [for opportunities], and thankful” (Colossians 4:2, NIV, bold mine). Want to see change in your family or in a friend’s life? “Devote yourself to prayer, be watchful [for opportunities], and thankful” (Colossians 4:2, NIV, bold mine). Do you want to see change in our country? “Devote yourself to prayer, be watchful [for opportunities], and thankful” (Colossians 4:2, NIV, bold mine).
Prayer is the springboard from which miracles occur. The more you pray, the more opportunities you will see. The more you pray, the more you will become like Christ. The more you pray, the more your church will look like the church at the beginning of Acts. The more you pray, the more your family, marriage, relationships, self-image, and desires will be aligned with how God designed them to be.
Essentially what we learn from these stories is that the more you pray, the more God moves. Do you want to see God moving in your life? Do you want to see more miracles in your life? You better hit you knees and lift your hands to the Maker of the Miracles and get ready for God to rain down some opportunities in your life.
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
