Acts 10:32. "Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter; he is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the seaside." This is Cornelius, a gentile centurion who had become devout in following God, relaying to Peter the message an angel had given him. Peter hears Cornelius' story, and, seeing the faith of the believers at Cornelius' house, comes to understand that Christ came for all, gentiles as well as Jews.

I have journaled about this passage several times before, two examples are here and here. Just focusing on this line, though, I am struck by how specific the angel's message is (he essentially gives Cornelius directions to where Peter is staying!:), and how Cornelius was able to keep his wits about him enough to remember exactly where to send for Peter.

We are told earlier that Cornelius was "a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to God." (Acts 10:3). I think Cornelius' devotion, especially his constant prayer, predisposed him to be able to receive the message from the angel and retain it. The common reaction, I think, upon being visited by an angelic presence, would be surprise, awe, and confusion. Unless we are well attuned to God, I think our minds would be too preoccupied with the strangeness of the situation to to truly focus on what the angel was saying and retain it (either that, or our clouded eyes would see nothing more than a seemingly unhinged stranger jabbering about something, and needing to be shown the door!). When I think about the people angels appear to with messages in the Bible, they are usually very holy and devout people (like Mary, Joseph, and Zechariah). They have a close enough relationship with God, through prayer, that they can hear the message, instead of being overwhelmed by the messenger.

There are many reasons to pray constantly, but one important one is having such a good, open relationship with God that, when He wants to tell you something directly, He can send you a message you will understand. Prayer is us learning to speak and understand God's language. When we practice it faithfully, we learn the language of Heaven!