Acts 12:1-17

 

At this stage of Christianity, it had begun to expand and now the Devil is pushing back in the form of persecution. The church survived and thrived through the power of prayer. 

 

Three reasons the early Christians prayed as it fueled their lives 

  1. Believed in the power of prayer (v. 5) … Peter was arrested and was being guarded by 16 soldiers. He wasn’t going to escape on his own. The church prayed. Praying was the first thing they did. The early church didn’t save prayer for a last resort. They knew God can do more through prayer than we can ever do on our own, so it was their first priority. Charles Spurgeon took a churxh of 300 in London to 20,000. When asked about his secret for success, he said it wasn’t the preaching or the music; it was all the people praying for the service. 
  2. Persisted in ongoing prayer (v. 12) … An angel had helped Peter escape. When he was out, he went to Mary’s house and found them still praying. They didn’t just pray once and say they did their part. They continued to pray in persistence. One of the parables Jesus tells also encourages us to keep praying. The story of the woman who kept “pestering” the judge until he saw to her complaint is one that shows we should keep bringing our needs to God in prayer. 
  3. Rejoiced in answered prayer (vv. 16-17a) … When Peter came to the people who were praying for his release, they rejoiced and praised God for answering their prayers. It is important for us to thank God for answering our prayers. 

 

Four reasons people don’t pray as much as they should

  1. Don’t believe it will make a difference … People will try a lot of things before praying. For many, it is a last resort, unlike in the early church. Too often people think God doesn’t care enough to help them or that He can’t help. This is the same God who created the universe. The power is there. He feeds the birds and clothes the fields in vibrant colors; if He cares for the birds and fields, He cares for us even more. 
  2. Don’t think they need it … We need the Lord everyday. Sometimes we think we don’t have anything big enough to take to Him, but nothing is too small. 
  3. Are just “too busy” … For us, the Devil has moved from persecution to distraction. There are tons of things to keep us occuppied and distractedb from prayer. No one is too busy to pray and if you are, you should pray about your schedule. 
  4. Never becomes a habit … We have all kinds of habits that we or others would notice if we missed it that day. Showering, brushing teeth,eating breakfast, having morning coffee so you aren’t a grouch. Make prayer a habit. Set aside a few moments every day where all the screens go off and the speakers go silent so you can focus only on praying to God. 

 

For Further Study/Resources Used to Prepare This Message

  • Exalting Jesus in Acts by Tony Merida
  • NIV Commentary (Acts) by Ajith Fernando
  • Acts: The Church Afire by Kent Hughes
  • Acts: The Christian Standard Commentary by Patrick Schreiner
  • The Gospel-Driven Church by Jared C. Wilson