8. Answers to Prayer

Acts 12:5-12

 

5 But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.

6 The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate.

7 Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists.

8 Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered.

9 So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening.

10 They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him.

11 Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders[a] had planned to do to me!”

12 When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer.

▣               When the apostle Peter of the Jerusalem church is imprisoned, the Jerusalem church members pray.

The church prayed earnestly to God for him (Acts 12:5), and many people gathered to pray (Acts 12:12).

And with people's prayers, Peter was released from prison.

However, the saints prayed earnestly and God's work took place, but people did not recognize it well.

 

First, Peter himself did not know well.

In Acts 12:9, we read that he “does not know whether he was alive or not.”

Second, even those who were praying did not believe (Acts 12:15-16),

Third, even the soldiers guarding Peter did not know (Acts 12:18).

In verse 11, Peter comes to his senses and confesses, “Now I truly understand.”

 

What did you know?  He knew that the Lord had sent an angel of the Lord to deliver him.  Peter got out of prison in a way that no one knew.

People pray, but God answers them.  When God answers, it means that it is done by the power of God.  Human knowledge is limited.

If he is a Christian, he should work even harder to develop his spiritual discernment to know God.

 

1. Prayers must be answered.

 

The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with

two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate.

(Acts 12:6)

 

It happened the night before Herod was going to bring Peter out before the people. There are times when people get discouraged while praying.

It's time to think, but there is no answer.  It must have been the people who were praying for Peter.  But even if we think it's too late, God always works.

How earnestly did the saints pray for Peter?

To be released, it must have already happened.

The execution would be carried out the next day, and now Peter must have thought he was going to die.  But God worked on the last night.

 

Daniel prayed even after hearing that he would put him in a lion's den to kill him if he prayed.  He believed that God would save him.

In our opinion, God had to see that faith and prevent him from going into his lion's den at all. However, it comes to the point of entering the lion's den.

It seems that all hope is gone, but if God wants to, a lion's den can become an angel's den.

 

Just because you pray for the Lord's voice to be heard does not mean that you can hear it quickly and easily. After a long time, the voice is heard.

The passing of time for prayer is not just the passing of time. It is a process of deepening our spirit and drawing closer to the Lord.

 

2. Answering prayers is a miracle.

 

Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. (Acts 12:7)

 

Peter's release happened in several inexplicable ways.

In Acts 12:6, first of all, Peter was bound with two chains, two soldiers were in the prison together, and a watchman was guarding them outside the door.

However, in verse 7, the chain was released by itself, and in verse 10, the Iron Gate opened by it.  It is impossible with human ability.

But if God does it, nothing is impossible.

Those who pray do not need to know how to solve problems, but rather know God who solves problems.  He must not limit God to man's power.

 

3. Prayer answers come spiritually.

 

Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders[a] had planned to do to me!” (Acts 12: 11)

 

It was an angel who rescued Peter from prison.

Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared (Acts 12:7), and he guides the way (Acts 12:8), and Peter follows the angel (Acts 12:9).

Angels were unknown to Peter.

 

He was the angel who saved Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the furnace. He was also the angel who kept Daniel in the lion's den.

It was also an angel who served as an attendant after Jesus overcame temptation after fasting and praying for 40 days.  Answers to prayer come with spiritual power.  A power unknown to man answers prayer.

Faith is not knowing with knowledge, but working through the spirit.

There is a difference between reading beautiful music as sheet music and listening to it being played.

There is a difference between knowing God's answers to prayer just like looking at the sheet music and knowing God's work through the spirit.

God's answers come with spiritual power.