INTRO.- ILL.- A lady said, “As my five year old son and I were headed to McDonald’s one day, we passed a car accident. Usually when we see something terrible like that, we say a prayer for those who might be hurt, so I pointed and said to my son, ‘We should pray.’
“From the back seat I heard his earnest request: ‘Please, God, don’t let those cars block the entrance to McDonald’s.’”
Brothers and sisters, I hope that prayer means more to you than just asking for what you want in life! I think we should thank the Lord every time He gives us something good, but to focus on our wants while neglecting others is self-centered. God help us if we only pray that way!
ILL.- There was once a godless seaman who was in a boat fishing with his companions when a storm came up which threatened to sink the ship. His companions begged him to offer a prayer; but he declined, saying it was years since he had prayed or gone to church.
Finally, they insisted and he offered this prayer: “O Lord, I have not asked You for anything for fifteen years, and if You deliver us out of this storm and bring us safe to land again, I promise that I will not bother You again for another fifteen years.”
Is that the way some people pray? They only speak to God when they are in trouble? I fear this is true for many people. I’ve often felt like people use God as they would a spare tire: they only get Him out and use Him in times of emergency! Again, God help us if that’s the only time we pray!
ILL.- One Newsweek article entitled “Talking to God” claimed that 78 percent of Americans pray at least once a week, and 57 percent report praying every day or even more often.
What about you? How’s your prayer life? I hope you have a daily prayer life. Better yet, I hope you have an hourly prayer life! I hope that you are constantly talking to your Father!
ILL.- C.S. Lewis said, “The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.” That’s what praying should be.
ILL.- John Bunyan said, “He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day.” What a frightening thought that is! If I want the Lord’s blessing on my life then I must seek Him early and often.
ILL.- There’s a delightful painting that depicts a Christian farmer who has left his plow and turned aside in the early glow of morning to pray. The outstanding thing about the picture, however, is that while the man is lifting his heart to God, an angel is going on with the plowing for him!
We just might be surprised at what God is doing while we are praying. He can listen to us and work at the same time.
Mark 1:35 “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” We can’t find a better example than that of Jesus. We all need to imitate Him when it comes to prayer and to everything else.
PROP. - In our text, Peter and John went to pray and something good happened. Let’s think about it and what it has to do with our prayer time.
1- At the time of prayer we may be tested
2- At the time of prayer we must do good
3- At the time of prayer we must point to Jesus
I. AT THE TIME OF PRAYER WE MAY BE TESTED
Acts 3:1-5 “One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.”
ILL.- Four high school boys were late to their morning classes one day. They entered the classroom and solemnly told their teacher they were detained due to a flat tire. The sympathetic teacher smiled and told them it was too bad they were late because they had missed a test that morning. But she was willing to let them make it up. She gave them each a piece of paper and a pencil and sent them to four corners of the room. Then she told them they would pass if they could answer just one question: Which tire was flat???
Often in life it seems that we are put to the test. Our patience is tested while driving in heavy traffic or perhaps when dealing with children. Our honesty is tested when we make out our taxes. Our strength is tested when we may be called on to work long hours. Our faith is tested when we are called on to serve in some form or another.
While Peter and John were going to pray their faith was tested. A crippled man put them to the test for help. It was as though God was saying, “You believe in me. You talk to me but do you serve me?”
This story is like the story of the good Samaritan. How many times have we passed by people who needed our assistance, our kindness, our love, our testimony for Christ?
It seems that if we are going to be a people of prayer and faith then we will be tested.
ILL.- For 30 years, Randy Murphy drove without a traffic incident, without being stopped by the police, and without a driver’s license. Then, the 46 year-old Knoxville, Tennessee native’s luck ran out. On his way home from work as a dishwasher, he turned up the volume on his radio. Turning the corner he was stopped by police officer Mark Taylor who pulled him over because of the blaring music. When Officer Taylor asked Murphy for a driver’s license, Murphy admitted he didn’t have one.
What would we expect in that situation? Officer Taylor asked Murphy why he didn’t have a license. Murphy said that he couldn’t read well enough to pass the written test. With uncommon courtesy, Taylor told Murphy, if he were willing, he’d like to help him with the reading part of the test.
The police officer gave Murphy his pager number. Later that afternoon, Murphy paged Taylor to schedule their first meeting. For the next three months the men met several times a week to review the test booklet. When Murphy felt ready, Taylor accompanied him to the department of motor vehicles. Murphy took the test six times before he passed it and then sailed through the road test. Taylor’s act of kindness earned him the Officer of the Month award from the Knoxville Police Department.
My question is: Would you have helped that stranger like that Police officer did? He was put to the test and we are often put to the test in regard to our faith in many ways.
Will we be ready? This is where our faith and prayer should make a difference.
II. AT THE TIME OF PRAYER WE MUST DO GOOD
Acts 3:6-8 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God."
Peter and John were motivated to do good because they’d been in the presence of God many times, with Jesus, etc.
ILL.- A well-know professional golfer was playing in a tournament with President Gerald Ford, fellow pro Jack Nicklaus, and Billy Graham. After the round was over one of the other pros on the tour asked, ‘Hey, what was it like playing with the President and Billy Graham?’ The pro said with disgust, ‘I don’t need Billy Graham stuffing religion down my throat!’
With that he headed for the practice tee. His friend followed, and after the golfer had pounded out his fury on a bucket of golf balls, he asked, ‘Was Billy a little rough on you out there?’ The pro sighed and said with embarrassment, ‘No, he didn’t even mention religion.’
Sometimes being in the presence of certain people can do things to us. In the case of this golf pro he felt a certain amount of conviction just being in Billy Graham’s presence.
ILL.- Many years ago when I lived near the Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri the Bass Angler’s Sportman’s Society (BASS) held their first 3-day bass tournament on the Lake.
I went a couple of times to watch they call the ‘weigh-in’ to see what the pros caught. Pros like Roland Martin were there, Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston and a host of others. And whenever they weighed in their bass and talked about the fantastic catches they were making, it made me want to go fishing and in a hurry!
Some people motivate others very strongly. Preachers like Don DeWelt and Wilbur Fields (OCC professors) motivated me to preach. And Don DeWelt motivated me to pray.
What do you motivate people to want to do? Does your presence do anything good for others? Does it cause them to want to do good and serve? Are you a motivator? Are you an encourager with your attitude, actions and speech?
I Cor. 15:33 “Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."
If we’re in the presence of evil, we’re motivated to do evil, but if we’re in the presence of God, we’re motivated to do good. After prayer, we should want do do good things.
ILL.- I once heard the story of an organist who was getting ready to play as the church service began. When he put his hands on the keys there was no sound. Everyone knew something was wrong, so the preacher quickly got up and led in prayer. The janitor was aware of the fact that they hadn’t plugged in the organ. So he went during the prayer, plugged in the organ, wrote a note and handed it to the organist. The note said, “After the prayer, the power will be on.”
After the prayer, the power will be on to go, to do, to serve, to love, to minister, etc.
ILL.- James Duncan, who preached with great power, was asked what was the secret of such powerful preaching. He said, “The secret was thirteen hours of consecutive prayer.”
Perhaps the reason we don’t do more for Christ is because we don’t pray more!
III. AT THE TIME OF PRAYER WE MUST POINT TO JESUS
Acts 3:11-16 “While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong.” “It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.”
By faith in the name of Jesus, this man was made strong. There is something special about that name!
ILL.- There is only one man in the world who ever tore up a $1,000,000-a-year salary contract. When the United States Steel Corporation took over the Carnegie Company, it acquired as one of its obligations a contract to pay Charles M. Schwab that unheard-of sum as a minimum annually.
J. P. Morgan didn’t know what to do about it. The highest salary on record was $100,000. He was in a quandary. Finally he summoned Schwab, showed him the contract, and hesitatingly asked what could be done about it. “This,” said Schwab, and tore it up. That contract had netted Schwab $1,300,000 the previous year.
Schwab said, “I didn’t care what salary they paid me. I was not animated by money motives. I believed in what I was trying to do and I wanted to see it brought about. I canceled that contract without a moment’s hesitation.”
“Why do I work? What do I work for?” he continued. “I have more money than I can begin to spend. I have no children and nobody to leave it to. My wife is rich enough in her own right. She does not need it. I do not need it. I work just for pleasure I find in work, the satisfaction there is in developing things, in creating. Also, the associations business begets. The man who does not work for the love of work, but only for money, is not likely to make money nor to find much fun in life.”
I don’t know of many people who would turn down a salary like that but apparently, Schwab did. Money was not his thing.
Brothers and sisters, what you are living for? Working for? What is your life all about? Pleasure? Money? Relaxation?
I Cor. 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” No matter what we do in life we should live for the glory of God.
Phil. 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
ILL.- When he was 88 years old, the late Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once found himself on a train. When the conductor came by, Justice Holmes couldn’t find his ticket, and he seemed terribly upset. He searched all his pockets and fumbled through his wallet without success.
The conductor was sympathetic. He said, “Don’t worry, Mr. Holmes, the Pennsylvania Railroad will be happy to trust you. After you reach your destination you’ll probably find the ticket and you can just mail it to us.”
But the conductor’s kindness failed to put Mr. Holmes at ease. Still very much upset, he said, “My dear man, my problem is not ‘Where is my ticket?’ The problem is, ‘Where am I going?’”
Where are you going in life? Where is your life headed? What are you living for? It’s Jesus who healed the lame man in our text. And it’s Jesus who saves us and gives meaning to all of life. It is Jesus who gives the abundant, rich, full life!
And we must point to Him.
CONCLUSION---------------------------
ILL.- Someone said, “There is a vast difference between saying prayers and praying.”
Our prayers are most than just “saying” a prayer. Prayer should rightfully be plain, open, but reverent talking to God as our loving Father. And once we rise from prayer we should be ready for action, ready to serve, ready to take on the world, the flesh and the devil!
God help us to pray! And we should pray, “Lord, fill us with your Spirit, with your heart, and with your grace to bless others!”
