Prayers of Acts (Acts 9:10-18)

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Prayers of Acts (Acts 9:10-18)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, Oh on Sunday, April 19, 2026

Two Irishmen, Pat and Mike, had narrowly escaped death on a sinking ship. They were floundering around in icy ocean waters on a couple of planks. Pat was addicted to the grossest profanity and he thought he ought to repent of it and then the Lord would come to his rescue. Mike thought his theology was sound. Pat began to pray, but just before arriving at the main thesis of his repentant prayer, Mike spotted a ship coming toward them. As delighted as Columbus when he first spotted the North American shore, Mike hollered, “Hold it, Pat. Don’t commit yourself. Here’s a ship.” Pat immediately stopped praying! Isn’t that the way many of us are? The only time we pray is when we are “in a jam.” As soon as things improve we forget God.

—John Haggai, How to Win over Worry[1]

We are in a sermon series on prayer.

Today, my theme is:

The Lord answers a dangerous man’s prayer through Ananias.

  1. Let’s talk about the context.
    1. In Acts 9:1-9, the Lord Jesus confronts Saul. Saul, whom we know as the Apostle Paul, had been persecuting the church.
    2. Saul was on his way to arrest more Christians, but Jesus confronted him.
    3. Jesus made him blind and asked him why is he (Saul) persecuting Me. When Saul persecuted the church, he was persecuting Jesus.
    4. In Acts 9:6, Saul is given instructions to get up and go to the city, and you will learn what to do.
    5. The others with him lead him into the city (Acts 9:9).
    6. He had no sight, food, or drink for three days.
    7. Now, we are in Acts 9:10.
  2. Meet Ananias (Acts 9:10).
    1. In Acts 9:10, we meet Ananias.
    2. Acts 9:10 (ESV)
    3. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
    4. Notice, there is a scene change. We went from Saul to Ananias.
    5. Ananias is a disciple of Jesus.
    6. He responds to the Lord- “Here I am, Lord.”
  3. Jesus shares about Saul’s prayer (Acts 9:11-12).
    1. Now, we see that Saul was praying.
    2. Acts 9:11–12 (ESV)
    3. 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.”
    4. If anyone became a Christian kicking and screaming, it was Saul.
    5. Now, Saul is praying.
    6. He must’ve been desperate. He was persecuting Jesus by persecuting Christians, and now he wants to ask Jesus to restore his sight.
    7. Well, the Lord tells Ananias who to look for.
    8. In this case, Saul is praying, and we see Jesus answering the prayer.
    9. Isn’t that awesome!
    10. Have you ever thought that while you are praying, the Lord is answering your prayer with someone else?
    11. The Lord is speaking to Ananias, but also showing Saul in a vision that Ananias will lay hands on him so he can regain his sight.
  4. Ananias’s objection (Acts 9:13-14).
    1. Acts 9:13–14 (ESV)
    2. 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”
    3. We see that Ananias is referring to what we can read in Acts 9:1, etc.
    4. I wonder about Ananias. Maybe he is one of the disciples who fled when Stephen was stoned (Acts 8:1). Maybe he was saved through that group.
  5. The Lord’s response (Acts 9:15-16).
    1. Acts 9:15–16 (ESV)
    2. 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
    3. Paul was commissioned by the chief priest (Acts 9:2) to persecute Christians, but now the Lord commissions him.
    4. The Lord redirected him.
    5. He will suffer.
    6. He will take the gospel to the Gentiles.
  6. The answer to Saul’s prayer (Acts 9:17-18).
    1. Acts 9:17–18 (ESV)
    2. 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized…
    3. We see Ananias obeyed.
    4. He fulfills the mission Jesus called him to do.
    5. Saul is baptized.
  7. Applications
    1. How are we doing with prayer?
    2. How are we doing at being the answer to someone else’s prayer?
    3. Are we sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading?
    4. Ananias was sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
    5. Are we praying desperately? I bet Saul was.
    6. Do we notice Jesus’s sovereignty? Remember, the Lord can, and does, redirect people for His causes.
  1.  

Thank You for Saying No

Lord, day after day I’ve thanked You

For saying yes.

But when have I genuinely thanked You

For saying no?

Yet I shudder to think

Of the possible smears

The cumulative blots on my life

Had You not been sufficiently wise

To say an unalterable no.

So thank You for saying no

When my want list for things

Far exceeded my longing for You.

When I asked for a stone

Foolishly certain I asked for bread

Thank You for saying no

To my petulant “Just this time, Lord?”

Thank You for saying no

To senseless excuses

Selfish motives

Dangerous diversions.

Thank You for saying no

When the temptation that enticed me

Would have bound me beyond escape.

Thank You for saying no

When I asked You to leave me alone.

Above all

Thank You for saying no

When in anguish I asked

“If I give You all else

May I keep this?”

Lord, my awe increases

When I see the wisdom

Of Your divine no.

—Ruth Harms Calkin, Tell Me Again Lord, I Forget[2]

 

[1] Charles R. Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart and 1501 Other Stories (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2016), 456.

[2] Charles R. Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart and 1501 Other Stories (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2016), 451–452.

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