Acts 3:1 “Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.”
There were some good things, from the Jewish practices, that the Apostles continued in the New Testament age. The Jews set aside an “hour of prayer” during “the ninth hour”, 3:00 PM our time. During this hour, they would gather at the Temple to pray together. It was a time to worshipfully glorify God in their unified prayers and to spread before Him their needs and tribulations and to petition for the welfare and prosperity of the Church and to pray for their civil leaders.
Our human weaknesses require us to discipline ourselves, else we will begin to slip away and neglect such essential things as regular prayer. Oftentimes, because of our busy schedule we make a swipe at prayer but fail to commit ourselves into focused and sincere prayer. We are plainly told that “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16); that is, the sincere and focused prayer from the depths of our Spiritual heart, with our minds giving full attention to it.
So, in addition to my early morning and evening prayers, I’ve marked my calendar to remind me every day that 3:00 PM is the “hour of prayer”! It will appear on all my electronic devices, including my cell phone, to remind my feeble human mind that it is time to pray. The phrase the “hour of prayer” literally means the designated time “of prayer”.
Our Country is in a dreadful state, many are sick, our nation’s youth are tempted and imperiled by deadly drugs, Bible reading and study is in a severe decline, the Lord’s people are becoming lethargic in His service, … Biblical teachings and history show that, if our Lord does not intervene and help us, life is going to become exceedingly miserable! So, LET US PRAY!
May The Lord God Almighty, our only hope of Heaven and deliverance in this present life, hear our cry before Him and save us from these impending perils and our own failings!