So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

Our passage today occurs after the death of Jesus. While during the life of Jesus, the Roman Empire had a fairly tolerant view of other religions than their own, that all changed when Caligula became the Roman emperor. He insisted that all people in the Roman Empire worship him as a god and put aside their own religions. To get in the good graces of Caligula, King Herod Agrippa began persecuting people who were followers of Jesus. He killed James (one of Jesus’ apostles) and imprisoned Peter.

‍

That’s where we find ourselves in today’s Scripture. Imagine being a disciple of Jesus, following the apostles and specifically Peter, whom Jesus had described as the “rock” on which the church would be built, but now sitting in fear of his imminent death. They had already seen the death of James at the hand of King Herod, and now Peter was in that madman’s custody.

‍

What was their response? Did they form an army to go and break him out of prison? Did they sit idly by and fret over the assured death of Peter? No! They prayed earnestly. The word earnestly here is the Greek word ektenos, and it means fervently. This Greek word was a medical term meaning to stretch out (like a muscle) to its limits. I picture this group of followers, the church, literally hands stretched out, possibly lying on the floor, giving everything they had in prayer to God for Peter’s safety and most likely for their own safety as well.  

‍

And honestly, I wonder if they expected the miracle they got? Peter was guarded by four soldiers (a special detail since Peter had already miraculously escaped prison once, see Acts 5:17-21),  and shackled by the wrists to two of them. Our passage tells us, “And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, ‘Arise quickly!’ And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, ‘Gird yourself and tie on your sandals’; and so he did.” The angel proceeded to lead him out past the guards and to the iron gate that led to the city — and it opened of its own accord.

‍

At this point, we encounter the believers, still fervently praying for Peter. He comes to the house and knocks, and a young girl going to answer the door recognizes his voice. Shocked, she runs to tell the others that Peter is alive and here. She did, however, forget to open the door and let him in! The believers don’t believe her, but “when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished” (Acts 12:16).  

Let’s just break this down a bit. What did they do when they were literally in fear for their friend’s life and, really, their very own lives? Again, they prayed fervently (some translations say, constantly). They didn’t resign themselves to the fear they were surely feeling; they turned to God. They approached the very throne of God and cried out to Him in their distress. They approached Him with holy expectation and asked God to join them in their grief and fear.

‍

As believers, we are invited to do the same thing. Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that we will have trouble in this world, but that He has overcome the world and will bring us peace. We know that God is not a god of fear, as 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” He gave us the Spirit, and that Spirit is one of power.

‍

Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

‍

The antidote to fear is prayer. In everything, we pray. In fear, we pray. In anxiety, we pray. In distress, we pray. If we are not a people of prayer, we cannot access the tools, the very power that God gave us to combat the fear in this world. So, friends, I invite you to drop to your knees in prayer. Will the fear just magically go away? Probably not, but you will invite the Creator of this world into your fear, and that right there has tremendous power to bring peace.

Father God, let us be a people of prayer. Help us to come to You in any and every circumstance. Help us to invite You into the good and the bad. Let us draw on the power of Your peace even in the face of fear. Let us not believe the lies of the enemy, telling us You are distant and uncaring. In Jesus’ name ~ AMEN!