Discerning Needs and Opportunities for Healing

“Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.” Acts 3:1

Peter and John were going to the temple to pray! Prayer is one of the most precious of all Christian entertainments and to have someone to pray with makes it that much more inviting. “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst.” (Matthew 18:20) We truly see this promise made by Christ come to pass here in this third chapter of Acts, because this trip to the temple to pray provided for a golden opportunity.

When we go to prayer, we should expect God to do something! Praying with expectation is what Jesus taught his disciples in Mark 11:24. Sometimes we may have certain expectations and then others we may see that God has expectations that provides us opportunities to share Jesus. This was the case here in our text. As they were entering the gate called Beautiful there was a man who was lame and begged for money. Someone would bring him there daily and would comeback to get him at the end of the day. But on this particular day this beggar would receive something more precious than silver or gold, he would receive Christ and the spiritual and physical healing that comes through accepting him.

When we pray with expectation, then that also means we can pray with confidence. Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none but such as I have give I unto thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” Peter was so assured of Jesus’ presence with him and John as they were going to pray that he could confidently pray for this man, sharing with him not necessarily what the man wanted, but what he needed.

Jesus said that “My house is a house of prayer.” (Matthew 22:13) When we go to worship prayer should be one of the key elements in every service. If that is truly the case, then we know that Christ is in our midst, and he is there to accomplish his purposes. We should look for opportunities that arise to present Jesus Christ either in our coming or going. This man’s life was forever changed that day and that’s what we should expect every time we gather together: That God would change someone’s life or situation. That they would leave different from how they came.

James said “Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray…Is any sick among you let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord shall raise him up; And if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” (James 5:13-15)

We need to remember that there is always someone who is hurting, wounded, or crippled by certain situations in life in our assemblies and just as Peter and John were going to pray, they were also Discerning.

Let us pray expecting, looking for opportunities for God to work in our midst and maybe someone who is sitting at the doorway of our church may receive that very thing they need in their life.

Pastor Robby