Friday, February 5, 2016

Angels and Answered Prayers

 
Read Exodus 40:34-38; Psalms 15; and Acts 12

 
S.O.A.P.

 

S:  “And suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared [standing beside him], and a light shone in the place where he was. And the angel gently smote Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, Get up quickly! And the chains fell off his hands.” (Acts 12:7)

 

O:  A lot happens in this chapter of Acts; James the brother of John is killed, Peter was rescued from Herod, Herod is struck down and Paul and Barnabas return with John Mark from their first missionary journey, but what mostly caught my attention was the story of Peter. 

 

One of the first things I notice is Peter was sleeping.  This probably catches my eye because I do not always sleep well, but when I do I can really get into a DEEP sleep.  About fifteen years ago I was a volunteer firefighter and EMT.  I loved everything about that job and I did not even mind getting woken up in the night to go and help someone in need.  But one night I had my radio beside my bed and my husband tells me that it went off and I did not hear the radio and the alert.  He was down the hall in the office and came and apparently woke me up and told me about the call.  I said ok and apparently laid back down and went back to sleep.  The next morning when he conveyed all of this to me I did not remember a thing. 

 

Now that I’m older and have children I do not unfortunately sleep quite as deeply!  But back to Peter …   

 

Peter wasn’t up thinking about his problems or worrying about his court date that was about to take place in the morning.  He certainly could have been.  One of his best friends, James, had been killed and Peter was probably about to join him.  James and Peter and John had been apart of the inner-inner circle with Jesus.  They were the ones who got to go up and see the transfiguration.  They were the ones closest to him in the garden praying before the crucifixion.

 

But Peter was not worried, he was sleeping so soundly and so deeply (even with the bright light of the angel right beside Peter) that the angel had to “smack” him on the side (in his ribs) to get him up.  The verse in the KJV says after he smote him that the angel “raised him up”. 

 

Even after all of this Peter still thought he was just dreaming (vs 9).

 

Finally after passing all the guards and the city gates the angel leaves Peter and Peter for the first time realizes what has been done for him and he proceeds to John Mark’s mother’s house where a group was assembled in the night keeping vigil and praying for Peter.  So Peter knocks and the girl who comes to the door is so excited to hear Peter’s voice that she doesn’t even open the door, she runs back to the group and tells them that Peter is here on the porch, but they didn’t believe her.  I do not know if any of you have kids (or animals) that do this, but when the doorbell rings in our house my kids (and dogs) go crazy.  The kids start jumping up and down screaming names of people they think are at the door; they just get excited!  I imagine Rhoda did the same.  She heard the knock and got close enough to the door to hear Peter and began jumping up and down, “Peter’s here, Peter’s here!”

 

Why is it when we pray, even in full faith, that when the answer comes that we still doubt that it could be possible?  Acts says Rhoda kept persisting until they finally open the door and saw Peter with their own eyes and verse 16 says they were AMAZED.  That word in Greek is “existemi” which means they were caught off guard, thrown into wonderment, astounded, beside one’s self or literally “out of (ex) standing (histemi)”. 

 

Does the way God answer your prayers ever just “knock you off your feet”?  There are times I catch myself in the middle of something happening and I realize that this was something I prayed for and just am amazed!

 

A:  Think back over times when God has answered some of your very specific prayers and thank Him for that and be amazed at God all over again!  Then continue in prayer for the things you are still seeking Him for.

 
P:  Lord, the song, “I stand, I stand in awe of You, Holy God to whom all praise is due, I stand in awe of You!” comes to mind this morning as I think about Peter and Rhoda and John Mark’s mother and the others that you just blew away with the way You heard and answered their prayers that night while Peter was sleeping soundly in the prison.  God I pray we too would be knocked off our feet by the way You hear and answer our prayers.  I am also reminded again how important it is to keep those night watches and stand in the gap for others, others who may not have any idea you are praying for them, but then who knows what our prayers can do for another person.  Keep us as Psalms 15 says clean and walking rightly with You so that as we follow Your direction that we can be used as vessels in accordance with what You are doing and as we pray in accordance with Your will we can know that our prayers will be answered.  Thank you LORD for hearing and answering us.  In Your Mighty Name and through Christ we pray Amen & Amen.



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