Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the “hour of prayer, being the ninth hour
Acts 3:1 KJV
Do you have dedicated times for prayer? Yes! If you think prayer is a serious business, then there should be an appointment for it. Of course, we can pray anytime and should pray every time, as the Bible encourages us to do so. But that notwithstanding, there should be a fixed appointment daily to speak with the Lord. In Acts 3:1, we are told Peter and John went to the Temple at the “hour of prayer, the ninth hour.”
What was the hour of prayer and from where did the Jews practice of praying at specific hours originate? The practice dates back to the Patriarchs. Abraham established the morning prayer, his son Isaac introduced mid-day prayer, and his grandson Jacob added the evening prayer.
This practice eventually made its way into Jewish religious law. The rabbis taught Jews to pray three times per day, citing the examples of David (Psalm 55:17) and Daniel (Daniel 6:10). Eventually, fixed times were set for the observance of these prayers (1) the 3rd hour (roughly 9am), the 6th hour (roughly 12pm), and the 9th hour (roughly 3pm). The morning and evening prayers may have coincided with the morning and evening sacrifices offered by the priests in the Temple (Ex 29:38-39; Num 28:2-8).
It appears many of Jesus’ disciples continued the practice of regular daily prayers even after the Lord’s ascension. In Acts 3:1, Peter and John were headed to the Temple at the “hour of prayer.” In Acts 10:9, before going to Cornelius’ house, Peter was praying on the rooftop “about the sixth hour.” Some devout Gentiles may have also adopted this practice. Cornelius told Peter a messenger of God appeared to him while he was praying in his house at the “ninth hour.”
Interestingly, key events of Jesus’ crucifixion aligned with these designated times. Jesus was crucified in the 3rd hour (Mark 15:25), darkness covered the land at the 6th hour (Mark 15:33), and Jesus died at the 9th hour (Mark 15:34-37).
The truth is that the Patriarch found some mystery in making prayer appointments with God and it became a practice that God blessed. The fact that both the priestly sacrifices of the old testament and the eternal sacrifice of Christ coincide with it is a testament to God’s blessing upon it.
So, if you are really serious about your walk with the Lord, prayer cannot be done anyhow, anytime. You need to have clear hours of prayer and trust God for spiritual discipline to keep the appointment.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, you are a great God as well as a loving father. I know you don’t really need an appointment to speak to me, but I realise the growth of my walk with you will depend on it. Please help me from today to keep a daily appointment with you between {mention the time you have chosen}. Amen.
