TOPIC: DIVINE INTERVENTION THROUGH PRAYERS
TEXT: Acts 12:1-11(NKJV)
- 12:1. Now about that time Herod the king stretched out [his] hand to harass some from the church.
- 12:2. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
- 12:3. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was [during] the Days of Unleavened Bread.
- 12:4. So when he had arrested him, he put [him] in prison, and delivered [him] to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
- 12:5. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.
- 12:6. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.
- 12:7. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by [him,] and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off [his] hands.
- 12:8. Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.”
- 12:9. So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
- 12:10. When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
- 12:11. And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and [from] all the expectation of the Jewish people.”
STUDY:
Apostle Peter was the chief Apostle who was given the responsibility of leading the early church, as appointed by Christ (John 21:15-17). On this day, we remember how determined, dutiful and fearless Peter was in his life-time in guarding the faith and consistently sharing the gospel, despite the Jewish leaders’ intimidation and attacks. Following the killing of Apostle James by King Herod, Peter would have gone into hiding, or at least stepped down his public appearances knowing that the enemy would come after him, as the leader of the church.
But he remained steadfastly determined, upholding the gospel and visibly leading the church. Of course, he was arrested and imprisoned, waiting to be killed like James. However, this did not happen thanks to the ministry of intercession by the church (v.5). Many times, the enemies launch numerous attacks on the church to hinder the gospel of Christ.
When this happens, we should, as Peter, stand our ground for Jesus! We must also learn to genuinely intercede for divine intervention on behalf of our Christian leaders, fellow children of God and all missionaries in the mission fields, that God will intervene and deliver them from the grasp of kidnappers, bandits and Christian persecutors.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, please bring down divine intervene in the situation of our country today, Amen!
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