Joyful Moments in Christ

The Power of Earnest Prayer

So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. – Acts 12:5 (ESV)

When we follow God and things go wrong, it can be easy to lose hope. However, Acts 12:5 teaches us that this should not be our response. Instead of giving up, we should turn to God in prayer.

A Lesson in Perseverance and Faith

Acts 12 begins with two events that could have caused severe discouragement in the early church: Herod begins killing Christians, including James the brother of John, and Peter is arrested. The church couldn’t change the fate of those who were killed, but they could pray fervently for Peter.

To everyone’s amazement, God answered their prayers in a miraculous way! An angel appeared in the prison, removed Peter’s chains, guided him past the guards, and disappeared as soon as Peter was safe. This was so unexpected that Peter initially thought he was seeing a vision!

Once Peter realized his experience was real, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of Mark. The servant girl, Rhoda, was so surprised to see him that she forgot to let him in. As she explained his presence to the others, they were convinced it must be Peter’s ghost! Eventually, Peter was admitted and assisted in escaping from Herod’s clutches.

What Does This Mean for Us?

Does this mean that God will answer every prayer we make? Of course not. There were likely many prayers for James and others captured by Herod, but they still faced death. However, God chose to save Peter from this particular threat.

Would God have saved Peter without the prayers of his friends? It’s impossible to know for certain, but the Bible offers many examples where God expressed a desire to act differently after conversing with a human. God loves being in a relationship with us! Part of that relationship involves expressing our desires and allowing God to consider them in His plans. God can say no, but He can also say yes!

Reflection Questions

The Power of Earnest Prayer

1. How do you typically respond when faced with difficult circumstances?
2. What role does prayer play in your response to challenges?
3. How can Acts 12:5 inspire you to turn to God in prayer during tough times?

A Lesson in Perseverance and Faith

1. How do you think the early church felt when they heard about James’ death and Peter’s imprisonment?
2. Why do you think the church chose to pray for Peter despite the discouraging events?
3. Have you ever experienced a situation where prayer brought unexpected results? How did it affect your faith?

What Does This Mean for Us?

1. How does understanding that God might not answer every prayer the way we hope change your perspective on prayer?
2. Can you think of a time when you prayed for something and the outcome was different than expected? How did you handle it?
3. What does it mean to be in a relationship with God where we can express our desires and He can respond in various ways?

Seeking God in Prayer

1. What specific situations in your life do you need to bring to God in earnest prayer right now?
2. How can you encourage others in your faith community to turn to prayer during difficult times?
3. What steps can you take to deepen your prayer life and trust in God’s plans, even when they differ from your own desires?

Reflective Prayer

Use the verses in this blog post to pray using the ACTS method: Adoration, Confession, Thankfulness, Supplication

• Adoration: Praise God. Do these verses bring any specific characteristics of God to mind?
• Confession: Tell God that you are sorry for specific sins. Do these verses bring any specific sins to mind?
• Thankfulness: Show gratitude towards God. Does anything from these verses inspire gratitude?
• Supplication: Make requests for yourself and for others. Does anything from these verses inspire a prayer?

If helpful, you can use a prayer journal template.

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Related Resources

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English Standard Version (ESV): Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.