Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You
Earnest Prayer
"So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church." - Acts 12:5
In Acts 12, we see that Peter was obedient and the church was stunned, despite their earnest prayers. In Acts 12:5, we know the church was praying for Peter, and while they were praying, Peter was sleeping. According to Acts 12:7, when an angel struck Peter to wake him up, as he got up, the chains fell off his hands. After he was delivered from prison, he went to the house of Mary, where people had gathered to pray for his deliverance. The scriptures tell us that Peter knocked on the door, and while they recognized his voice, they did not believe it was him.
We can learn from the early church to earnestly pray about a matter before us. We need to gather as the early church did to pray about the issues before us today, like parental rights, life issues, gender ideology issues, family matters, prodigals, troubled marriages, and so much more. We can find humor in what happened as Peter was delivered. The church did not give in as they prayed, but even so, they were stunned by the results. We may find ourselves in similar situations of surprise as we pray and God answers. We read in Acts 12:24, "But the word of God increased and multiplied."
As I was reading and praying over these verses in preparation to share, I had a thought. What if those who read this post would commit to earnest prayer by calling or texting a friend or friends at noon each day to pray about a matter that is on their heart or commit to praying every day at noon for the family and our nation? As I see it, both the family and our nation are under attack, and it's time we earnestly pray. Beloved, I am not talking about a campaign but a time of prayer that becomes a part of your daily life. Please consider the idea, and if you are willing, reach out to a friend, start praying, and see how the Holy Spirit begins working in families and our nation.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the example of praying people in the early church. Lord, would you move on our hearts to constantly pray for families and our nation? Lord, we confess we cannot do this without the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, so deliver us from our lack of earnest prayer, and help us join with a friend or family member to cry out to you to strengthen and restore our families and our nation to bring glory and honor to You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
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