Today’s Devotion
Topic: Prayer & Faith
(Self Assessment)
BACKGROUND: King Herod had started persecuting the church. He killed James, the brother of John, by the sword and saw that this met the approval of the Jews, so he proceeded to seize Peter. After arresting him, he handed him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the pending Passover Festival. Let’s delve deeper into today’s study and learn more.
Text: Acts: 12: 5-9, 12-16
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.
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 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. Amen
Questions
- Herod killed James and the Jews were happy so he went on to arrest Peter. What is the lesson here if the church fails to intercede for her leaders?
- How was it possible that the angel of the Lord effortlessly rescued Peter inspite of the very “tight” security Herod had ensured at the prison? What assurance does that give you about the challenges you go through?
- The Lord rescued Peter just the last night before his trial. What does this teach about the timing of God? Why will it always be too early to get disappointed in God?
- The church prayed for Peter’s release. As they prayed Peter knocked on the door and Rhoda recognized his voice, but they said she was out of her mind. How does this explain the contrast between the earnest prayers we often make and the lack faith we exhibit right after praying? How important is faith in prayer?
- What have you learnt from today’s discussion?
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