Heaven is waiting
This is the 17th in a series of studies on the subject of prayer
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
Acts 12:5 (NIV)
Billy Graham once said, ‘Heaven is full of answers to prayer for which no one ever bothered to ask.’1 This makes me think that often we don’t get answers simply because we don’t ask.
There is power in prayer and it does bring release and deliverance; not because we are great prayer warriors, but because of the greatness of the one we pray to.
Here in our header scripture, Peter was thrown in prison. James, John’s brother, had been killed and Peter had no reason to believe his outcome would be any different. Yet the church earnestly prayed to God for his deliverance, and the result was that an angel of the Lord came down and escorted Peter to his miraculous freedom.
This episode always makes me smile because here was the church earnestly praying for a miracle when, lo and behold, a miracle happens, and they couldn’t believe it: ‘Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognised Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” “You’re out of your mind,” they told her…’ (v.13-15).
God honoured those prayers even though they may have been somewhat unbelieving prayers. This should greatly encourage us, as the result of our prayers doesn’t rest on us, but on God.
Nevertheless, it was the prayers of God’s people that created the environment for such a miracle to happen, because God is moved by our prayers.
When David was delivered from his enemies he sang these words: ‘I love you, Lord, my strength…I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies…In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help…He rescued me from my powerful enemy…’ (Ps.18:1, 3, 6, 17).
Heaven is moved by our prayers. When we pray to God chains are removed, angels come to the rescue, people are set free, and we are delivered from our enemies. The trouble is life gets so busy that prayer can so easily be crowded out of our schedule. Perhaps we need to take time out to remember the story of Peter’s miraculous release from prison as a consequence of prayer. Could it be that someone’s rescue is waiting for us to pray? Could it be that one day our deliverance will wait on the prayers of someone?
Heaven is full of answers to prayers that are just waiting to be asked, so why not ask today?
Prayer
Loving Father, thank you that the response to our prayers does not lie in how well we pray, but in your strength, mercy, and love. Please give us a heart to pray and the faith to trust you for your answer In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Study by Barry Robinson
1 10 Quotes from Billy Graham on Prayer – The Billy Graham Library Blog
Barry Robinson is a minister in Grace Communion International and Regional Pastor for Southern England, the Midlands, and Wales
Local congregation:
Grace Communion West Hampstead
Sidings Community Centre
150 Brassey Road
West Hampstead
London
NW6 2BA
Meeting time:
Sunday 12.30 pm
Local congregational contact:
Gordon Brown
gordon.brown@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church