“Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.” (Acts 12:5, NKJV)
As we read the Book of Acts, we see the rapid growth of the church. The followers of Jesus demonstrated passion and reckless boldness in spreading the gospel. Wherever they went, they took the message with them. There was revival, but there was also opposition.
Herod had just killed James, the brother of John, and Peter was his next target. Herod was just waiting for the Jewish feast days to end before Peter would suffer a similar fate. Peter already sat in a prison cell—chained to a guard on each side and with two more guards at his cell door. He was under around-the-clock watch. Escape was impossible—or so they thought.
While everyone slept, an angel of the Lord woke Peter. As his chains fell off, Peter followed the angel’s instructions to get dressed and follow him. The angel then led him through the prison and out the gate to freedom. The guards and other prisoners knew nothing until morning when they discovered Peter was missing.
Constant Prayer
Across town a number of believers were holding a prayer meeting at the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark. This wasn’t church folks gathering to pray for a few minutes for Peter’s situation. This was a “pray until something happens” meeting. The Bible says they prayed without ceasing. Earnest, intentional prayer bombarded heaven for Peter’s deliverance. The prayer meeting continued into the late-night hours.
But then the story gets a little puzzling. When a knock came at the gate, a young lady named Rhoda went to see who was there. Recognizing Peter’s voice, she became so excited that she ran back inside to tell the others without opening the gate. Surprisingly, no one believed her. The more she insisted it was true, the more they insisted she was beside herself.
How was it that the church prayed desperate prayers but then struggled to recognize God’s miraculous response to those prayers? Their answer was standing outside the gate, still knocking.
I’m not sure why those earnest seekers did not realize that God had already sent the answer. They were fervent in calling upon the Lord. Did He answer in a manner they did not expect? Were their words more fervent than their actual faith? Did the answer come quicker than expected? I don’t know. I do know that we serve a prayer-answering God.
Our Challenge
This account in Acts 12 challenges us today to examine our own prayer life. Do we allow doubt to creep into our prayers? Is our situation just too difficult for the Lord to handle? Will God really move mountains when we pray?
Bring your impossible situation to God. Be assured. Nothing is too difficult for Him. Pray bold prayers and pray with expectancy.
- “It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24, NKJV)
- “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” (I John 5:14-15, NKJV)
Devotion by Mary Loudermilk
