JUl 21 – The Way to Help!

“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.” (Acts 12:5)

The early church clearly understood the power of prayer. Scripture tells us, “It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also” (Acts 12:1–3).

The believers realized their failure to pray had cost them James, one of the apostles — and they were determined not to lose Peter the same way.

So what did they do? “Peter was kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 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. 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. 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.” (Acts 12:5–8).

Because the believers prayed fervently, an angel came down, the prison was shaken, Peter’s chains were loosed, and he was led to freedom.

Once, a devoted mother said: “Whenever my children go to write their exams, I kneel down the moment the exam begins. I stay on my knees, praying continuously, until they finish.” Indeed, we cannot go into the exam hall with our children. We cannot whisper encouragement in their ears. But when we kneel in prayer, our spirits are with them. We ask the Lord to give them wisdom — and He does. We lift them up in prayer – and He blesses them.

Dear child of God, will you pray? Will you help others through your prayers?

Verse for further meditation: “Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.” (James 5:17)