Awakened to Praying Together (Acts 12:1-17)

by Pastor Cesar Crisostomo |  February 25, 2018
Awakened to Praying Together
Acts 12:1-17
 
Prayer is something the disciples of Jesus should never avoid and never grow tired of doing. The more we pray in our private time as well as gathering with others, the more we will see the kingdom of God break through the darkness in our island and surely in life’s situations where it seems to be impossible. May we truly be awakened as His church to pray. Again, I say this not to bring condemnation or guilt to anyone, for this message is for me as well. Familia, I truly believe that God moves in extraordinary ways in response to the prayers of His people.
 
One of the indicator that measures our level of faith is prayer. When bad things happen over which we sometimes have no control or when discouragements hits, the first thing that is tested and affected is our prayer life. One of two things often happen: we either fall into despair, depression, discouragement that leads to our faith eroding because of doubt and anger or we turn our hearts to prayer…real, passionate, focused prayer.
 
Even though the early Believers in Acts 12 where going through a painful situation, they gathered to pray. When they received the bad news that their leaders, James the brother of John has been put to death and Peter arrested and to be put to death as well they responded by going into a house and then together earnestly prayed to God. They gathered, they got focused and they persevered. They turned their energies to prayer instead of falling into despair over the question which we too ask today, the question of why God allowed this bad thing to happen. And because they responded in this way they averted another tragedy and released a miracle that restored everyone’s confidence in God.
 
Important lessons:
  1. In the passage reading, it raises questions it does not try to answer: why did James die? Was it God’s will or was it lack of prayer? It certainly seems to indicate that the church’s prayer was instrumental in Peter’s rescue, but it makes no promise that we can pray our way out of all persecutions. Remember, Peter later died a violent death in Rome. On that occasion he was not delivered. To keep praying, we must humbly acknowledge that there are spiritual mysteries at work which we may not understand until we get to heaven. But if we are going to move forward, we are going to have to stop demanding answers and we must deliberately take our eyes off the failures.
 
  1. In spite of bad news, we are encouraged by Scripture to pray boldly, confident that our prayers will change things.
    • 1 John 5:14-15 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.”
    • Matthew 18:19 “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.”
    • Mark 11:22-24 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
    • Matthew 17:18-20 “Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
    • Matthew 21:22 “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
    • John 14:13-14 “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
    • Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
 
  1. They faced the bad news together. It takes time to quiet our emotions and mind down and listen, and it takes others listening with you to hear the many different insights God wants to give. Prayer does not seem to have much effect until the Spirit begins to lead us. At some point we become aware that God is guiding us, and the prayer is changing things. As the early church believers did, we must also take time to gather, focus and persevere in prayer toward God.
 
  1. What could we change if we come together in prayer? What “jail cells” could be opened and prisoners allowed to walk out? In Peter’s jail cell God showed His absolute power over human and demonic aggression. His deliverance must have been a great faith builder for the entire church. What are the possibilities with God? He had proved that He can release anyone from anything.
 
This passage should challenge us to consider the great possibilities of what prayer can do. It also assures us that even believers who think of themselves to have only mustard seed sized faith can move mountains when they decide to earnestly pray.
 
Growing deeper in relationship with Jesus:
  1. What is the greatest answer to prayer you have ever seen?
  2. Have you ever felt the prayers of others praying for you? If so, how could you tell?
  3. Share how God answered one of your prayers. How long did you have to pray before you saw the answer?
  4. Is there someone or a situation for whom God has called you to be praying for? What are you doing about it?