“About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword. After he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (This was during the festival of Unleavened Bread.) When he had seized him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him.”
This passage could be taken right out of the headlines today. “Christian, detained for being a Christian.” In the news just this week, we are told that President Obama has at the top of his list is the safety of an imprisoned Christian pastor, Saeed Abedini.http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2015/january/obama-to-imprisoned-pastors-wife-save-saeed-abedini-naghmeh.html?paging=off
Interestingly, what brought the church into fervent prayer was the safety of their friend Peter. They ask God to intercede. And God does! Peter, heavily guarded, is struck by an angel. He wakes up, and is led out of the facility to the door of the home where his church family is praying.
God answered their fervent prayer.
A few general questions to get us thinking:
1) Do we believe that God answers our prayers?
2) Are we fervently praying for the church and the people within it? There are Christians around the world detained for their faith. There are Christians detained, imprisoned in a life of sin, desperately needing a way out.
3) Are we praying like Peter’s friends prayed for him?
4) What have your prayers been about lately? Are they matters of great importance to the wider church and kingdom? Or do they just revolve around you?
Some things to think about this day. Pray fervently for your church this day!