Slideshow image

Read

Acts 12:5-12

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 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. 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. 

Then the angel said to him, ‘Put on your clothes and sandals.’ And Peter did so. ‘Wrap your cloak round you and follow me,’ the angel told him. 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. 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.

Then Peter came to himself and said, ‘Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.’

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.

Think

This amazing, miraculous escape from prison was the fruit of the church’s earnest prayer. How powerful are the prayers of believers and how seldom we recognise this! God used the gathered believers, earnestly praying, to bring Peter to freedom. God set Peter free so that he could set others free from eternal darkness through the preaching of the gospel.

Brothers and sisters, many people in Wagga are trapped in a horrible prison of unbelief and sin which is wreaking destruction in their lives. Let us pray urgently that many will be set free and brought into life through the light-giving gospel.

Ponder

  • What do you imagine the prayer meeting of verse 5 would have been like?
  • What is the value of praying with others when we could just pray alone?

Pray

Make a plan to meet with other believers to pray together with earnestness this week for the spread of the gospel.

Prayer & Praise

Psalm 100:4-5

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

  • Father, thank You for giving our beloved missionary friends back to us, please continue to keep them safe when travelling, and protect them.
  • Thank You, Lord, for the team going to Vanuatu, may their hearts be encouraged as their needs are provided for the journey.
  • We thank you, Lord, for our Pastors. Please uphold them with your right hand, encourage them through your word and remind them through us that they are loved.
  • For those who have been ill and are now recovering ..thank you Lord.
  • May we, your children, reflect your character and demonstrate your love one for the other.