But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity." Then Simon answered and said, "Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me." (Acts 8:20-24)
Refusing to pray for yourself is foolish, but that's how man is: he is wrong, and he doesn't care. He is willing to perish, rather than close with Christ.
The disciples were persecuted, even as the church has always been from the beginning. They fought for the Promised Land, were cast into bondage, were envied, rejected, and put to death. Our Lord Himself was murdered, and if we'll be faithful, then we'll endure man's hatred too, because sinners are against God and Christ. We read, “When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth, but he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:54-55). God is able to turn a Saul to a Paul, but it is miraculous, for even believers aren't always believers, and many confess Christ in baptism, only hiding their selfish ambitions for sin, power, and prestige.
The man who refuses to pray for himself says, “I don't care”, by his actions, because he refuses to escape wrath. He'd rather do SOMETHING ELSE than pray, and this is wrong. If you value your soul then fight for it. He says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph 6:12). If you're going to be saved, then suffer the hatred of mankind by the power of Christ. Look up to Him by the Spirit, realize your eternal wealth, and pityingly correct the sons of men. We read, “And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit'. Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not charge them with this sin'. And when he had said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:59-60). We love them truthfully with honest preaching, and we love them compassionately, not holding their wickedness as a personal grudge. God will judge, but we want them saved, as much as it be up to us.
Where do you stand with God? Are you saved? Then fight and know that you'll win in the end. He says, “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Rev 3:21). The Son stands to receive you. Are you undone, lost, and blind? Then PRAY for yourself! Don't put it in the hands of Peter or anyone else. I've never seen someone saved by asking another person to pray, not until they pray for their own self. I pray for myself because I believe that I'm sinful and worthy of punishment, and while I want many things in the flesh, like any other man, I do believe God's kingdom is worth praying and suffering for, because the reward, the promise, is real.
What you think of Christ, truly, will be revealed by how you treat the gospel! He says, “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance” (Is 55:2). If Christ brings you joy to live by, power to conquer, and forgives real sins, then you'll serve Him unto the end, being faithful unto death. If He is merely a temporary shine that can be eclipsed by something else, then you'll content yourself with someone else serving God, in the hopes that maybe, without repentance or effort, it will change you. It won't. Be serious for yourself. Pray.
Finally, this teaches believers that WE are to pray too. We are not to think, “God knows everything and will do His will, so why pray?” We are to make our requests known, because He's given prayer as the way to get the blessing. We humble ourselves in heart belief, trusting His provision for Christ's sake, even while our sins are real. This faith is what Saul had BEFORE he became Paul; it was FAITH to pray. Jesus said, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one call Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying” (Acts 9:11). Simon the sorcerer refused to pray, and he'll regret it eternally. Paul prayed, even as we must, and he got Christ.
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