Prayer Opened The Gates
5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
Prayer Opened The Gates
It seemed impossible, James had been killed and now Peter was imprisoned, what is happening the church is losing it’s leaders. What shall we do?
What would be your response to all this?
In verses 6-19, we have the miracle of Peter’s release from prison, the prison door opening by themselves the word used here, is translated and now forms the English word, automatic.
Wait a minute, these things, don’t happen. Do they?
Yes, they do, not because of the number of people praying or the amount of prayer undertaken, but because God is pleased to answer prayer.
Great things happen, because God answers prayers, he alone is the only one, who answers prayer. God deserves and takes all the glory when a prayer is answered, but he also loves to hear the prayers of his people, it says the prayers of the saints come before the throne of God Revelation 5:8
And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.All through the Old testament, we are encouraged to call upon God, in Psalm 50:15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
Isaiah 64:7
And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities. Look at this last verse from Isaiah, let me ask you, is there anyone in your church, who is rousing him/herself to take hold of God in prayer. This is what the church in Jerusalem, were doing, when we call upon God in prayer, he moves.
Look at the example of the church in Acts 4:
23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,[d] said by the Holy Spirit,
“‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain?26 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’[e]—
27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
This was the church taking hold of God in prayer, the whole church praying in unity, for Gd to work in power. WS Dowd said: Prayer is weakness, leaning on omnipotence.
Prayer can open doors that can’t be opened, it can do things, that amaze the human eye and heart, it is God acting, just because he loves to show his glory in response to the earnest and fervent prayers of his people.
Let’s rouse ourselves to pray, God wants to hear us.
God bless you,