Acts 9
In our first Series of Messages about PRAYER called – ‘Praying with Jesus’
We learned that Jesus prayed for the guidance of the Father and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit for His ministry
In our second Series of Messages about PRAYER called – ‘Praying with the Disciples’
We learned that Jesus taught the Disciples to make the praise and worship of God, in prayer, their priority; then, to come to God in prayer to ask for their own needs
As we begin this third Series about PRAYER called – ‘Praying with Paul’
We will discover a whole new focus in prayer; praying for other people
We know a lot about Paul’s background from the Word of God: Paul was a highly successful man and had great confidence in his own abilities – he was a proud Jewish man, born into the right family, educated, multilingual, a Pharisee; he was respected, and he was on his ‘way to the top’
Philippians 3: 4-6 ‘I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the Church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault’.
We are introduced to Paul, who is also called Saul, when he was on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus in Syria
The Lord Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus and Paul surrendered his life to Christ
Acts 9: 1-6
Paul and his travelling companions continued their journey and finally arrived in Damascus
Acts 9: 7-9
Then, God directs a Believer in Damascus to go visit Paul
Acts 9: 10-11
Notice: 11 ‘(Paul) is praying’
Paul begins his Christian ‘Life’ in PRAYER
Paul’s salvation experience was a massive ‘wake-up call’ in his Life
Before his salvation Paul was proud, independent, and self-confident in his own abilities, but now, he was humbled by Christ, weak and blinded!
Paul becomes a changed man – he now realized that he had no ability and that Jesus had all the power and all the glory
Philippians 3: 8-9 ‘everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with Him’
What was the evidence of this change in Paul’s Life?
PRAYER!
PRAYER is the evidence of a changed life – it is the expression of our surrender to the Lord and dependence upon God for all things
2 Corinthians 1: 9 ‘we (have) stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God’
After 30 years of faithfully serving the Lord, and now in prison facing execution, Paul concludes his ministry by writing to Timothy; he closes his last known letter in PRAYER
2 Timothy 4:18 ‘the Lord … will bring me safely into His heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen’.
As a Pastor, it troubles me somewhat when Christians don’t pray
I will say something like this, “Are you praying every day”
They may reply me, “no, I haven’t prayed all week – I have been busy”
This tells me a lot:
Did they have a salvation experience at all or are they a ‘Christian’ in name only?
Are they still relying on their own abilities?
Do they have any sense of dependence upon God?
Dear Friends, there is no Christian in all of history greater than Paul – Paul, who became the Apostle Paul
Not great because of his own abilities, but great because he was a man of PRAYER
Paul’s life was dominated by prayer and God mightily used him
So, how is your PRAYER ‘Life’?
Are you praying as Jesus prayed?
Are you praying as Jesus taught the Disciples to pray?
In this third Series about PRAYER let’s learn to pray with Paul
Philippians 3: 17 ‘Brothers and sisters, join together in following my example. Also, learn by watching those who are living the way we showed you’
revdotdavid 