Peter, Man of Prayer 130609

Simon Peter was the one who promised Jesus he would never deny him. Within a few hours he had denied his Lord three times when confronted by some servants while Jesus was being tried. Peter followed at a distance while Jesus was being forced through the streets to the place of crucifixion. Peter hid while the women went to check on the body of Jesus only to find that he had been raised from the dead. Peter had gone to the empty tomb and returned to a locked room in fear. Jesus appeared to the disciples there and over the next 40 days he proved that he was raised from the dead. Then on the day of Pentecost Peter, the former coward, boldly stood in front of the crowd and proclaimed Jesus as Lord and called on the crowd to repent. Now, he goes about his day-to-day events.

Listen while I read from…

Acts 3:1-10, Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

In spite of the fact that they had been told that they would be witnesses for Christ in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth they were still trying to find their way. On the day of Pentecost they had borne witness in Jerusalem with the magnificent result of 3000 brought into the kingdom in one day. They had no church growth consultants, no popular evangelists or experienced pastors to turn to so they did what they could.

They were attending the Temple for prayer. In fact, that was exactly what they should be doing! They should wait on the Lord in prayer until they knew what to do next. We don't know where the rest of the disciples were that day but we do know that Temple prayer was part of…

The disciples' daily routine. As recorded in Acts 2:46-47, And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Prayer should be a normal part of our daily routine as it was with them. The little room on the side of the church building is always unlocked if you need a quiet place to pray. Many Christians spend little time in prayer. In fact, many would say, "Why should we pray?" Wayne Grudem gives an excellent answer to that question in his Systematic Theology. I quote, Prayer is not made so that God can find out what we need, because Jesus tells us, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matt. 6:8). God wants us to pray because prayer expresses our trust in God and is a means whereby our trust in him can increase. In fact, perhaps the primary emphasis of the Bible’s teaching on prayer is that we are to pray with faith, which means trust or dependence on God. God as our Creator delights in being trusted by us as his creatures, for an attitude of dependence is most appropriate to the Creator/creature relationship. Praying in humble dependence also indicates that we are genuinely convinced of God’s wisdom, love, goodness, and power—indeed of all of the attributes that make up his excellent character. When we truly pray, we as persons, in the wholeness of our character, are relating to God as a person, in the wholeness of his character. Thus, all that we think or feel about God comes to expression in our prayer. It is only natural that God would delight in such activity and place much emphasis on it in his relationship with us.

Everyone needs a place of prayer. Cherlyn and I pray together in the morning in our front room and at night, before going to sleep, in our bed. I also pray often during the day — short little prayers — like, "HELP", or, "WHY?", or "WHERE IS IT?"! For whatever reason we should set aside a particular place to pray. The disciples went to the Temple because it was…

The place where God was seen. They knew the words of the psalmist Psalm 27:4 One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.

It was in the dedication of the Temple that Solomon met God in a personal way. There, he received this promise from God, "if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2nd Chronicles 7:14)

It was in the Temple that Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up. It was there that day that Isaiah said, "Here am I, send me!" (Isaiah 6:8)

In the presence of a holy God our lives are changed and his grace is released.

The temple was the sanctuary of God. Soon the Temple became a place filled with ritual and religion rather than relationship. During his ministry Jesus went into the Temple and drove out those who sold animals for sacrifice and changed money for the offering. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” (Matthew 21:13)

The disciples continued use the Temple as a house of prayer. They didn't realize it was…

A place no longer needed. Listen while I read Hebrews 10:19-23, Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

When Jesus was crucified there was a change in the Temple. When the Temple was constructed it was based on the same floor plan as the tabernacle in the wilderness. There was an outer court surrounding two rooms called the holy place, and the most holy place. In the holy place was the altar of incense, the menorah and the table for showbread. Behind the curtain, in the Holy of Holies was the ark of the covenant. The Holy of Holies would be entered by the high priest once a year on the day of atonement. After an elaborate ritual he would offer incense in the presence of the ark of the covenant.

This was the only time the ark was seen. However, on the day of Jesus' crucifixion at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the hour of prayer, there was an earthquake and the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom opening the way into the holy place for all to see.

Yet the disciples continued to come there for prayer because…

They were willing to be obedient. They had been told to wait for the coming of the Spirit who would empower them to witness. That had happened in a powerful way on the day of Pentecost! Now they waited and prayed. Too often we get busy at busyness trying to be sure "something" happens. As soon as we think we know what God's will is we set out to "make it happen". It's as though we say to God, "Thank you for the direction now please move back while I get the work done." We can't accuse Peter and John of running ahead of God as I often do. I have personally been critical of the fact that they stayed in Jerusalem after Pentecost when they had been commanded to go into all the world. The Father knew they were going to stay and had a plan that included that. In fact, he had been holding this man for Peter. You see…

The beggar was there every day. Some twenty-one or twenty-two years before this event a twelve-year-old boy walked into the Temple looking for teachers so he could ask them questions and give them answers. Three days later, his parents came into the Temple as they frantically searched for him. That boy's name was Jesus and he asked his human parents, Mary and Joseph, "Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" Luke tells us that they did not understand but his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.

If they had just known the beggar, who was brought daily and put at the Temple gate, he could've told him where Jesus was!

In the years that followed from time-to-time Jesus returned to the Temple and each time he must seen this man. I know that Jesus had a very compassionate heart and he must've looked on many sufferers and wondered what the will of the Father was. Oh, I know, Jesus himself was God. However, he had limited himself while in the flesh. On earth he did not act like God. He humbled himself in obedience. I believe each time he saw this man at the Temple gate he thought a prayer, "Father do you want him healed?" I believe the Father answered, "Yes, but not now." You see, he was being saved for Peter.

The beggar was laid at the Beautiful gate daily to beg for coins. Even today, it's not unusual to see beggars in and around the holy places in Jerusalem. They know that people with a good heart will be coming there. He lay there begging but...

His expectations were limited. At the best, the beggar expected to take home enough money to meet his needs. And that would be a good day! He never expected that he would go home one day walking and leaping and praising God!

We live in a world like that ourselves. We dream little dreams and plan small plans. There is plenty of evidence in the Scriptures that God wants to do much more for us than we are willing to ask Him for. In his sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11) Later, Jesus would say, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!…" (Matthew 23:37)

I am sure God is willing to give us much more than we even know to ask for. The beggar at the Temple gate saw two men and hoped to receive something from them, but he had no expectation of what he was about to receive. You see…

Peter's resources were unexpected. Peter's very first words must've been disappointing. He knew what the beggar wanted and expected. And so he immediately turned aside the obvious. I can picture the man as his look went from that of expectation to disappointment. "I have no silver or gold." Peter said to him. "But I will give you what I do have." and…

The results were amazing. Begging is probably not very boring because, hopefully, you get to see a lot of people and some of them are very friendly and helpful. But what this man received was beyond his wildest imagination. He had no idea…

What Peter had to offer. Peter must've remembered the words of Jesus, recorded by John, John 14:12-14, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it."

Wow, that's a pretty powerful statement. It should leave us scratching our heads in wonder. "Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do." Amazing! But he goes on, "and greater works than these will he do." Greater? Greater than the works of Jesus? I do not begin to understand what Jesus meant by those words. But I have a rule that I follow when studying Scripture. Almost without exception, the simplest understanding of the passage is the right one. Jesus released power from heaven as he sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Father. The Holy Spirit no longer visited on earth as he had in the Old Testament times. Now the Holy Spirit abides in the people of God. The sanctuary made with human hands no longer represents where God lives. The room we worship in is not a sanctuary. The sanctuary of God is in the human heart where the Spirit of God lives.

Peter must've thought the same prayer that I have supposed that Jesus thought. "Father do you want this man healed?" The answer this time was, "Yes, now!" The daily routine of going up to the temple to pray at 3 in the afternoon was interrupted. Peter was open and obedient. Perhaps he had been with Jesus at other times when they had walked past this man. After all, he was daily laid at the Temple gate. We need to remember that God's will must be done in God's time and in God's way. Peter had nothing of his own to give this man. What he had belonged to Jesus. It was the power to heal. And it…

Resulted in complete healing. This man was over 40 years old! He had been lame, or crippled, all his life! If a modern surgeon came to this man and operated on him he would have never been "normal". Through disuse this man's muscles would have atrophied. They would never have been normal and he would always walk poorly if at all. Instead, when Peter spoke the words of power, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk…" his feet and ankles became strong! This was more than healing! This was restoring life and vigor to a body that was, for all practical purposes, dead and passive. This is a rare miracle but not unheard of. Abraham and Sarah were restored to full health in their old age in order to bear a son, Isaac. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. And if you read the whole story of Genesis you will find that Sarah became attractive to men again in her old age.

Well that's the kind of healing that happened to the man at the Temple gate. Whatever had caused him to be crippled was corrected but also his muscles were given normal tone so that he could spend the rest of his life…

Walking, leaping and praising God. Isaiah had prophesied 700 years before. Isaiah 35:5-6, Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;

I remember visiting a farm one spring on the day the cows were turned outdoors for the first time since fall. It was amazing to see those cows walking and leaping like calves. Yes, maybe they were also praising God for another spring.

Imagine yourself being in the place of this man. (I do wish we knew his name) It was a normal day in Jerusalem not particularly different from any other day. The crippled man's family and friends probably took turns carrying him from his house to the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. He had been there for several hours with his hand out begging alms. His arms were probably the strongest part of his body because he held them up hour after hour.

Several people had passed by him and looked the other way. Some had looked at him and pronounced peace upon him. They would have said, "Shalom". Some came expecting him to be there and already had their coin in their hand. You see, they knew the Proverb, "Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed." (Proverbs 19:17) Who could be poorer than a beggar?

Suddenly the man's world changed! Two men on their way to prayer stopped and stared at him with a particular interest. They had nothing in their hands but they were obviously interested in him. Then those blessed words, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” came from the lips of one of them.

What happened? We only know what could have been seen by the human eye. If he had pain up until then, it stopped! If he somehow felt weakness, that ended! Instantly, he was completely healed.

These two men had simply been going to pray. Likely, they were talking along the way. Perhaps even as they walked they were praying. They went to the Temple to pray out of obedience. It was like any other day until one of them knew God was about to work a great miracle. Their personal resources were limited but their God, our God, was and is unlimited!

Often we find ourselves limited in the things that really matter. There is a story told – it may be true – that during the Middle Ages a simple monk had gone to the Vatican. He was being shown around the magnificent churches and chapels. His guide is said to have remarked, "We no longer have to say, 'we have no silver and gold'". To which the monk replied, "Neither can we say, 'In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.'" Well I want you to know that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. He will not only save you from your sin but he can also heal your diseases when it is his will. Come to him today he will meet your needs in unexpected ways.

All scripture quotes are from:The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.