Practical Principles of Prayer - Seventh Sunday of Easter
Author: Pastor Scott Schul
June 01, 2025
Whenever I think I’m
having a bad day, I only have to open my Bible to realize it could be a whole
lot worse. A prime example is in today’s
lesson from Acts. File this one under
the heading “no good deed goes unpunished.” The Apostle Paul had just experienced the joy of baptizing Lydia and her
entire household, and now resumed his missionary journey in Greece. As he walked to the “place of prayer,” he
thought he was doing a good thing by freeing a woman from demonic
possession. But instead, he was arrested
by the local magistrates and beaten with sticks by an angry crowd. As if that wasn’t enough, he and his
companion Silas were then thrown into a dark, dirty, prison cell with their
feet painfully restrained in stocks. Having seen the ruins of that cell in the ancient city of Philippi, I
can testify to how awful this must’ve been.
This story isn’t a
fable, myth, or parable. This happened
to real people in a real place documented by scholars and archaeologists. It’s the reality of this story that makes the
reaction of Paul and Silas so astonishing. When they were seized by the magistrates, they didn’t resist the
arrest. When they were beaten by the
crowd, they didn’t fight back. When they were confined in that horrific prison, they didn’t despair. And when the walls of that prison
miraculously shook, doors flew open, and chains unfastened, they didn’t run
away. Each of their reactions defies
common sense and basic human nature. But
in the end, their response to those traumas, deprivations, and abuses resulted
in conversions to Christ. What was it
that enabled Paul and Silas to react the way they did?
Well, at the macro
level, the view from 10,000 feet above, we could credit the Holy Spirit with
enabling them to react this way, so the lives of the jailer and his household
could be transformed in Christ. That’s a
correct answer, but one we’ll set aside for two reasons: (1) the Holy Spirit’s a
prime topic for next Sunday, the Feast of Pentecost; and (2) whenever we
give the Holy Spirit credit for something, we tend to think we have no role to
play, that we can just be passive bystanders. And that’s not accurate.
Look more deeply at
this lesson from Acts. While still
giving due credit to the Holy Spirit, what did Paul and Silas do that
equipped and enabled them to respond in such a saintly fashion? It’s right there in the text. They prayed. In verse 16 we learn they were on their way
to the place of prayer. Later, in verse
25, we read that at midnight, rather than cry, complain, and howl about their
mistreatment, they prayed and sang hymns to God. Praying is what made all the
difference for Paul and Silas.
Now let’s drill down a
little deeper. What did prayer do for
them? Did it equip Paul and Silas with
superhuman strength that enabled them to endure the beatings and
imprisonment? I suppose that’s possible,
but nothing in the text indicates that’s what happened. Well maybe it was their prayers and hymns
which persuaded God to make an earthquake. Or maybe it was the eloquence or persistence
of their prayers, or the perfection of their faith that forced God to
shake the earth and burst their chains. I suppose that’s also possible, but again, there’s no indication that
Paul and Silas were in some high stakes negotiation with God. And besides, I just don’t believe that’s how
God works. I don’t think prayers are
answered based on how good a pray-er you are or how many people you can
convince to pray for you or your cause. That just reduces prayer to a talent competition or a popularity
contest. Moreover, it’s just
theologically wrong to suggest that the God can somehow be forced into doing
what we mere humans want. That makes God
seem small and weak.
The effect of prayer is
not to conform God to our will. Prayer works to conform us to God’s will. Prayer is how we become more like
Christ. It’s how we learn to think, act,
and react as he does. It’s not usually
an instantaneous process, but something that happens over the course of a
lifetime, like a rock that’s gradually worn away by gentle rains. Prayer opens our heart to be formed,
reformed, and transformed by Christ. That’s why prayer is so critical, and why I talk about it so often.
Many of us struggle to
pray. There are lots of reasons
why. Sometimes we get intimidated by the
mistaken notion that our prayers only count if they follow a complicated
pattern or contain elegant language. Others don’t pray because it just doesn’t make logical sense to
them. Still others get busy or
distracted and don’t make the time. So
in the remaining time I have with you this morning, I want to use this story
from Acts to illustrate a few simple and practical principles of prayer.
First, what is prayer? At its simplest and most fundamental, it’s a
conversation. But it’s not just any
conversation; it’s a conversation between friends. It’s a means by which that relationship
between friends is developed, nourished, and strengthened. That naturally leads us to why we pray. In his day, Luther emphasized that we pray
because God commands us. That’s a valid
Biblical reason, but one more suited to the medieval ears of Luther’s age. Today I would emphasize that we pray as an invitation,
an inclination, and an opportunity. In other words, God wants to hear from us, as
any loving parent or friend would desire, and invites us to regularly
spend time together. It’s an inclination in the sense that we are made in God’s image and God, as a Holy Trinity, is by
nature a relationship. We were created
to be relational, praying people.
What do I mean when I
say that prayer is an opportunity? Well consider the times we’re eager to communicate with other people. Sometimes we’re bursting with good news we
cannot wait to share. At other times we
reach out to a friend because we’re sad, lonely, maybe even angry, and really
need a listening ear. Sometimes we
communicate because we’re seeking wisdom, guidance, and direction. And then there are those other times when our
communication is quiet, as when two people who love each other very much are
content to sit near each other in blissful silence. Those are all reasons to pray.
They also indicate how
we pray. Sometimes it helps to use
timeless, ancient words. Other times we
use our own words. Occasionally the best
prayer of all is silence. Paul and Silas
prayed by singing hymns. We can do the
same! Don’t ever refrain from praying
because you think you lack the expertise or the words. If you can speak to a friend, you can speak
to God, and God will be delighted. But
remember that in a good, healthy conversation, you take time to listen. The same is true when you pray.
But where should we
pray? Paul and Silas sometimes prayed at set places
and times. But they also prayed in an
awful jail cell in the middle of the night. Likewise, we can pray in church, on our commute, in a comfy chair, or as
we walk. Any time and any place are suitable for prayer.
Prayer transforms us
because as we pray, we gradually become one with God in purpose. Our will becomes conformed to God’s will. We begin to think, act, and react
more like Christ. That’s a blessing for
us and for our world. In our story from
Acts, God wanted the jailer, his household, and the people of Philippi to be
joined to Christ and his Church. And so
God always intended for a miracle to occur at the jail, whether or not Paul and
Silas prayed. But for them to play their
role in this ongoing saga of God’s love for fallen humanity, Paul and Silas first
had to be transformed. Prayer was a
primary means by which that happened. When it’s our turn, and God lovingly calls us to be the solution
to someone’s needs, will we be ready to play our role? We will, if we pray. Amen.
© 2025 Rev. Scott E. Schul, all rights reserved
Sermon Text: Acts 16:16-34
Gospel Text: John 17:20-26
[Jesus prayed:] 20 I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe
in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one. As you,
Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world
may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given
me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23 I
in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world
may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where
I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the
foundation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, the
world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with
which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
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