Why Pray For People?

Exodus 39; Exodus 40; Psalm 15; Acts 12
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Scripture

Acts 12

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


Peter’s Miraculous Escape 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.

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 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. 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. 17 He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place.

Observation

The early church is no different than we are today! We pray for people then we act surprised when God answers our prayers. The church was praying for Peter and when Peter knocks on the door of the believers’ home they don’t believe that it could be him at the door.

I know that God had to smile when He heard the response of these Christians when they heard that Peter was at their front door.

God is constantly working in the lives of those that we are praying for and it shouldn’t surprise us when they suddenly turn to God or when God heals them. It shouldn’t surprise us but most of the time it still does!

Application

I will continue to pray for those in my family that are not walking with the Lord. I will continue to pray for those that are visiting our church that need to make decisions for Christ, and I will continue to pray for Christians in our church that need to be set free from hurts, habits, and hang ups.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I have to laugh when I read this story yet I know that I do the same thing in my prayer life. I pray but then I am surprised when You answer my prayers. Help me to be stronger in my faith as I continue to pray for those I love. I pray for miracles in the lives of those close to me. I pray for my children, my grandchildren, my brother and my sisters and their families and I ask that you bring all of them to a personal relationship with You.

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