We have three sources for the subject of Paul and Prayer: what Paul teaches regarding prayer, the actual prayers found in his letters, and (the subject for this lesson) the instances in Acts where Paul turned to God in prayer. This last source is very important. For example, if this were about my ideas on prayer you would first want to know something about my personal prayer life. Fortunately, we will be studying Paul on the subject, not me. And remember Paul's words when he said, “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.”
Acts 9:8-11 A Prayer of Contrition
We can infer that Paul had been praying for three days before he received an answer from God in the form of Ananias coming. That would be the beginning of Christian fellowship for Paul, and we will see how closely prayer and fellowship are associated.
As a Pharisee, Paul would have taken prayer seriously before this time, but as Lockyer said, “Not until he was born anew by the Spirit did he know what it was to pray as God interprets prayer.” One aspect of that contrast is the difference between the rich and poor men praying in Jesus' story. It has been said that praise arises from our excess and true prayer from what we lack in our life. In this case, Paul had just lost his sight and all his spiritual bearings – everything he had relied on previously.
John Stott asks, “What was the content of his prayers? We can guess that he prayed for the forgiveness of all this sins, especially his self-righteousness and his cruel persecution of Jesus through his followers; for wisdom to know what God wanted him to do now; and for power to exercise whatever ministry he was to be given.” (The Spirit, the Church, and the World, p. 175)
F. F. Bruce relates a surprisingly similar story taking place in modern times: Sundar Singh's story of his own conversion after a period of bitter hostility to the gospel. “Praying in his room in the early morning, he saw a great light. 'Then as I prayed and looked into the light, I saw the form of the Lord Jesus Christ. It had such an appearance of glory and love. If it had been some Hindu incarnation I would have prostrated myself before it. But it was the Lord Jesus Christ whom I had been insulting a few days before. I felt that a vision like this could not come out of my own imagination. I heard a voice saying in Hindustani, 'How long will you persecute me? I have come to save you; you were praying to know the right way. Why do you not take it?'” (The Book of Acts, p. 196)
Acts 13:1-3 A Prayer of Confirmation
Several things are associated with prayer on this occasion:
1. fasting (as in the first case above): It has been said that “fasting is a negative action performed for the sake of a positive one.”
2. worship (in verse 2 versus prayer in v. 3)
3. church: The names of the church members indicate a cross section of nationalities, races and economic strata. Prayer unites believers.
4. laying on of hands: This time it shows the unity of the church body with Paul and Barnabas as they go out into the world to represent them and (by extension) Christ.
The nature of this prayer was to attest the church's acceptance of the Spirit's choice (accepting God's will) and invoking divine blessing on the chosen two.
Acts 16:25 A Prayer of Acclaim
“Prayer” here should be translated as “praise.” The other occasions we will see where praise is coupled with prayer are during periods of hardship. The situation is described in 16:22-24. As John Stott said, “No wonder the other prisoners were listening to them.”
Tertullian: “The legs feel nothing in the stocks when the heart is in heaven.”
Ray Stedman: “Prayer is not simply asking; prayer is also seeking and knocking; but the answer is invariably the same, for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Jesus Teaches on Prayer, p. 93)
Paul saw that (a) the enemy had panicked, (b) God, in his resurrection power, was at work and (c) suffering (physical, mental, emotional) is absolutely necessary to Christian maturity.
William Barclay: “The only thing you can never take away from a Christian is God and the presence of Jesus Christ. With God there is freedom even in a prison, and even at midnight there is light.”
Acts 20:36-38 A Prayer of Commitment
This is a group setting like the prayer of the Antioch church, but here the roles are reversed and Paul is praying for the church's ministry. Verse 32 gives an indication of the content of this prayer.
Paul had been in Ephesus for two years and three months – the longest period in any one missionary setting. The farewell is sad, but remember that “Christians never say goodbye.” In fact, Paul will see them again (see I Timothy 1:3). It is interesting that in this case the Holy Spirit did not reveal the future to Paul.
Acts 21:5 A Prayer of Concern
This is the other recorded prayer of farewell for Paul although, unlike Ephesus, Paul had only been there for one week. There is more stress here on mutual concern. The added interesting detail of the women and children being present shows the unity of God's whole people.
It is unusual in that it looks as if Paul is disobeying the command of the Holy Spirit. Remember that the same Spirit that sent the warning also constrained Paul to go to Jerusalem (see Acts 20:22). Paul is like Christ setting his face toward Jerusalem even though he knows what he will be facing there.
Lloyd John Ogilvie (Drumbeat of Love) explains that Paul and his friends had all prayed and received the same basic message. The difference in their conclusions about their prayers resulted from what they added to the basic revelation they had received. Paul added toughness; his cherished friends added tenderness.”
Acts 22:17-21 A Prayer of Commission
Read Acts 9:26-30 for the context of this prayer. If you compare the two accounts, one describes “natural” events while the other is the inward or “spiritual” one.
Paul is praying in the temple like any devout Jew. He goes into a trance (en echstasei), the same Greek word used when Peter receives his vision on a rooftop.
Acts 9 shows that simultaneously the church members hear of the danger and tell Paul – often “confirmations” from fellow Christians help us see God's answer to prayer. Jesus in the vision is not arguing with Paul but simply redirecting his goals. Paul is commissioned to go to the Gentiles. This prepares us for the next prayer in Paul's life – the Antioch church praying for him.
Acts 27:34-35 A Prayer of Courage
A minority of commentators believe that the setting was during communion. It is more likely that it was an ordinary meal. Read I Timothy 4:3-5. Paul had the courage to say grace in the presence of a crowd of pagan sailors and soldiers.
This whole episode shows how complex Paul was, and it is valuable lesson for us. He mixed absolute devotion to God with a grasp of the practical details. F. F. Bruce said, “He combined spirituality with sanity and faith with works..a man of the Spirit and of common sense.” It is an example of Christ's words: “Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
Paul was the opposite of William Barclay's description of some Christians who were “so heavenly minded that they were of no earthly use.” It demonstrates that prayer and action are not mutually exclusive.
Ogilve uses 27:29 as the starting point to talk about four anchors that keep us secure in adverse circumstances:
1. The anchor of intervention from a messenger of God – the presence of God with us and in us
2. The anchor of faith (“Do not fear!”)
3. The anchor of a sense of destiny (“Paul, you must stand before Caesar.”)
4. The anchor of prayer that makes the other anchors secure. “Through prayer we are put in touch with the Presence and we experience love; we are liberated from fear by the displacing power of faith; and we rediscover our destiny and purpose.”
Acts 28:8 A Prayer of Cure
This follows the snake bite story. The phrase “after prayer” is very important in countering any idea that Paul's healing power is in himself. Paul uses prayer to cure another, but as we know prayer was of no avail in curing Paul of the thorn in his flesh. William Barclay says, “Paul was content to be the channel of gifts which he himself could never share.”
There has been much speculation concerning the nature of that thorn. It may have been a case of “Malta fever” identified in 1887 and caused by microorganisms in the milk of Maltese goats. It normally lasts four months to three years. The cure, when it happens, is instantaneous and miraculous. But in verse 9 a different word for “cure, heal” is used, one that implies a medical treatment by Luke the physician. Remember that prayer for healing doesn't exclude the use of doctors.
Acts 28:15 A Prayer of Encouragement
This is the reverse of the prayer on the ship where Paul encouraged others. What was Paul thankful for?
1. It had been three years since he had written the Roman church. He was thankful that he could see them at last.
2. He was thankful for the demonstrated courage and faith of the people in openly welcoming a state prisoner without fear of reprisal.
3. He was facing a trial before Nero and needed the support of his fellow Christians.
In closing, consider these same prayers in terms of their varied settings and the ways in which God made His presence known.
Acts Setting Evidence of God's Presence
9:8-11 alone vision of Jesus
22:17-21 alone vision of Jesus
16:22-25 with Silas miraculous delivery
13:1-3 church Holy Spirit revelation
20:36-38 church Holy Spirit revelation
21:5 church Holy Spirit revelation
27:35 with unbelievers an angel
28:8 with unbelievers miraculous cure
28:15 with unbelievers The Church
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