Acts 9:10-12
And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
C. H. SPURGEON (1834-1892): “Behold, he prayeth.” Without any preface, let me say that this was an announcement of a fact which was noticed in heaven—a fact which was joyous to the angels, astonishing to Ananias, and which was a novelty to Saul himself.
MATTHEW HENRY (1662-1714): But was it such a strange thing for Saul to pray? Was he not a Pharisee? And have we not reason to think he did, as the rest of them did, make long prayers in the synagogues and the corners of the streets? Yes; but now he began to pray after another manner than he had done; then he said his prayers—now he prayed them.
MARY WINSLOW (1774-1854): We do know when we have the ear of God, when prayer is prayer.
C. H. SPURGEON: Oh, it is a glorious fact that prayers are noticed in Heaven!—I pause here a moment just to ask each one—Do you pray? I think I hear someone say, “I always say my prayers.” Ah, my dear Friend, there is as great a difference between saying prayers and really praying as there was between the dead child and the living one that were brought before Solomon! Saying prayers is not praying! Why, you might as well say your prayers backward as forward unless your heart goes with them! It is quite extraordinary how some people can use a form of prayer without any thought whatever as to its meaning.
BROWNLOW NORTH (1810-1875): Saying prayers without praying is blasphemy! God has said, “The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.” Yet I believe that no greater breach of the third commandment ascends from earth into the ears of God, than that which too often ascends from the closet and from family circles, excepting only that which ascends on the Sabbath day from the public assemblies of God’s professing worshippers.
A. W. PINK (1886-1952): How many prayers have we heard that were so incoherent and aimless, so lacking in point and unity, that when the amen was reached we could scarcely remember one thing for which thanks had been given or request had been made, only a blurred impression remaining on the mind.
GEORGE OFFOR (1787-1864): How awfully general is this wretched delusion. The chattering of monkeys or parrots is more acceptable than to mock God with a solemn sound upon a thoughtless tongue. Jews gabble Hebrew, and Papists Latin, and, alas! others who never prayed, have been from childhood in the habit of repeating or reading a form of words, called, with devilish subtlety, “saying prayers.”
R. C. CHAPMAN (1803-1902): Few are strangers to making prayers, but how many, alas, are strangers to prayer!
RICHARD BAXTER (1615-1691): Speaking to the God of heaven in prayer, is a weightier duty than most are aware of.
MARTYN LLOYD-JONES (1899-1981): The first step in prayer, should always be the realization of the presence of the Lord. One of the greatest men of prayer of the last century—I mean from 1860 to 1960—was the saintly George Müller of Bristol. Here’s an expert in prayer, and he always taught that the first thing you do in prayer, is to realize the presence of God. You don’t start speaking immediately. You can utter lots of phrases, but you might as well not have done. You must realize the presence of God.
BROWNLOW NORTH: Remember that when a person puts himself in the attitude of prayer, he immediately, by his own act and deed, invites the special attention of God. His position is then a very solemn one, and surely he should be careful what he says; specially should he be careful not to mock God by professing to ask for what He knows he does not want. To utter a string of petitions in which the heart takes no interest is, I repeat, blasphemy, and not prayer, and they who are guilty of such sin do the devil service, while they provoke and dishonour God.
C. H. SPURGEON: Do you present to God prayers that come from your heart? I do not ask whether you use a form of prayer, or not, but does your heart really go with the prayer you offer? Our last question, upon which I must speak but briefly, is this: What must you and I do in order to be able to find prayers in our hearts? Ah, dear Friends, I am afraid that some of you can do nothing in this matter until, first of all, your hearts are renewed by Grace. “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?” No one. And who can fetch an acceptable prayer out of an unaccepted person? No one. So, Sinner, you must first come to Jesus, confessing your sin and looking to His dear wounds, and finding a broken heart within you as the result of His pierced heart. And when the Lord has looked upon you in His pardoning love, then you will find many prayers in your heart!
A. W. PINK: When the Lord assured Ananias of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus He said, “Behold, he prayeth.” As a “Pharisee of the Pharisees” he had made many long prayers, but not until the miracle of grace had been wrought within him could it be said that he prayed. Saying prayers and pouring out the heart before God are totally different things: a self-righteous Pharisee may be diligent in the former, only one who has been born again will do the latter. As another has said, “The moment a spiritual babe is born into the new creation it sends up a cry of helpless dependence toward the source of its birth.”
MATTHEW HENRY: Regenerating grace evermore sets people on praying; you may as soon find a living man without breath as a living Christian without prayer; if breathless, lifeless; and so, if prayerless, graceless.
JOHN BUNYAN (1628-1688): Prayer, without the heart be in it, is like a sound without life; and a heart, without it be lifted up of the Spirit, will never pray to God.
J. C. RYLE (1816-1900): Do we know what it is to “ask,” and “seek,” and “knock,” and wrestle in prayer, like men who feel that it is a matter of life or death, and that they must have an answer?—Or are we content with saying over some old form of words, while our thoughts are wandering, and our hearts far away? Truly we have learned a great lesson when we have learned that “saying prayers” is not praying!
WILLIAM GURNALL (1617-1679): Never was any formal prayer of the Holy Spirit’s making; when He comes it is a time of life.
MARY WINSLOW: Lay aside your forms of prayer, and the Lord Himself will teach you to pray from the heart. The blessed Spirit has promised to help our infirmities in prayer.
C. H. SPURGEON: No true prayer from the heart of a true child of God shall miss its mark; all shall reach the heavenly target. Your petition, my Brother or Sister, shall meet with acceptance as well as mine.
