November 12, 2010 (Acts 11-14)

Do we really believe God's hears our prayers? I think we probably don't, otherwise we would spend more time in prayer to Him. That is shown in the story in Acts 12. Peter was imprisoned and verse 5 says "But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him." Long story short, an angel came and miraculously freed Peter from prison:

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.

As a side note, I believe the Bible - in it's entirety. God can do anything at all. He can make a locked gate swing open, and then go back to a locked state. He can feed 5,000 people with just a few fish and a few loaves of bread. He can sustain His people in the wilderness for 40 years, showing grace to a disobedient people. Why do we not trust Him? Why are we so foolish? God help us to live as children that believe in a miracle working God.

So, back to the part about them not believing that God heard their prayers. When Peter arrived at the very place where they were praying for him, here's what happened:

¹³ He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. ¹⁴ When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!”

¹⁵ “You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.”

¹⁶ Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.

I fear we do the same. We pray, not expecting an answer from God. I'm thankful He answers in spite of our unbelief, but I have to wonder what we would see if we would truly believe.

The message that Paul gave in Acts 13 is pretty much the same message that Peter gave. He recounted the history of Israel and the prophecies and then told them of Jesus. Again, the message is the same today:

^13:38 “Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. ³⁹ Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God—something the law of Moses could never do.

And as Paul and Barnabas left they said these pertinent words "By God's grace, remain faithful."

The following verse was the "life verse" of the Adopt a Soldier program several months into the program:

^14:23 Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church and prayed for them with fasting, turning them over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

After the horrific day when eight soldiers from the Unit we supported were killed in an attack, we began meeting weekly to fast and pray, turning them over to the care of the Lord. What if we would have believed from the outset that our prayers would make a difference? What if the entire church would have supported these efforts in prayer? What if we would have met weekly right from the very beginning? I guess we won't know this side of eternity, but God continues to work on my heart - challenging me to a deeper walk with Him. God help me, by the power of Your Spirit to follow where You lead.