Acts 12:1–19

12:1
About that time King Herod laid hands on some from the church to harm
them.
2
He had James, the brother of John, executed with a sword.
3
When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too.
(This took place during the feast of Unleavened Bread.)
4
When he had seized him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four
squads of soldiers to guard him. Herod planned to bring him out for public
trial after the Passover.
5
So Peter was kept in prison, but those in the church were earnestly
praying to God for him.
6
On that very night before Herod was going to bring him out for trial,
Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while
guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison.
7
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the prison
cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up
quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.
8
The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.” Peter
did so. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.”
9
Peter went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was
happening through the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
10
After they had passed the first and second guards, they came to the iron
gate leading into the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went
outside and walked down one narrow street, when at once the angel left him.
11
When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord
has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from
everything the Jewish people were expecting to happen.”
12
When Peter realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John
Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying.
13
When he knocked at the door of the outer gate, a slave girl named Rhoda
answered.
14
When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she did not open
the gate, but ran back in and told them that Peter was standing at the
gate.
15
But they said to her, “You’ve lost your mind!” But she kept insisting that
it was Peter, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!”
16
Now Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him,
they were greatly astonished.
17
He motioned to them with his hand to be quiet and then related how the
Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, “Tell James and the
brothers these things,” and then he left and went to another place.
18
At daybreak there was great consternation among the soldiers over what had
become of Peter.
19
When Herod had searched for him and did not find him, he questioned the
guards and commanded that they be led away to execution. Then Herod went
down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.

One thought:

The persecution of the Church causes the spread of the gospel.

Here, Peter’s persecution is cut short, for the encouragement of fellow believers and the further spread of the gospel.

God wins every time.

Three questions:

Just because God can use our suffering/persecution for His purposes, should we not pray for it to be taken away?

 

Do you pray earnestly? What would that look like?

 

Do a google search of ‘Christians in prison’. Pray for them

Prayer:

Give thanks for the gospel work of Peter.
Repent that you/we don’t pray as earnestly as we should.
Pray for Christians who are currently in prison for their faith.

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