Father, (Heavenly Dad)You are good.I need help. They need help.Thank you.In Jesus’ name, amen.(Max Lucado in Before Amen)Main Thought: Fervent Prayer precedes great movements of God.“The basic purpose of prayer is not to bend God’s will to mine, but to mold my will to His.” Tim KellerActs 12:1-18 1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists. 8 Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. 11 Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating." 12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!" 15 "You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel." 16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell James and the brothers about this," he said, and then he left for another place. 18 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 1. When we really believe in prayer…we don’t have to think about what to do in a crisis.5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.2. When we really believe in prayer…we can have peace in the middle of the storm.6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers…3. When we really believe in prayer…things happen that can ONLY be attributed to God.10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it.“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; but I have come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly.” John 10:10Sometimes answered prayer is right in front of us and we can’t see it.

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