Latest / The Daily Word / October 20 – The Power of a Praying Church
Transcript
- Jenny: Well hello everyone. Happy October twentieth. Pastor Jenny here and we are reading along in our New Testament reading in the Life Journal Plan. We are in Acts chapter twelve today. So it's a I won't say it's a challenging book to read, because really I think Acts is one of the easier books to follow along because it's really like reading h an historical text or reading stories. but I'll say if you can put yourself in the shoes of those that were living it and imagine yourself being the one living it, this is very difficult because you open straight up the g straight out the gate when James was killed. He's the first the twelve apostles to be martyred. so I know that's not the life I seek to live. But as Christians, we're called to lay down our lives. so if that's what Jesus were to call me to, then that's the life I'm to surrender. But that's not easy to read, I can say that. if I think about that. And then immediately following that, Herod, who killed J James, was like, Wow, this worked really well for me. The Jews are really pleased with this. So Herod felt really good about that, and he's like, I'm gonna keep on this path. And so he then pursues Peter, gets Peter, puts Peter in prison. So you can only imagine what Peter must have felt like knowing James had just been killed, now Peter's in prison. So I want to read these first five verses to you because once I hit verse five, it's where I just kind of paused and recognized the power of the church, the significance of the church, and the part we have to play in coming around and surrounding one another. So Acts chapter twelve, starting in verse one, it says this Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews. In other words, because it pleased man, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the days of unleavened bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. And then we see verse five Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. Now, if you keep reading, or if you're familiar with this story, or hopefully you've already read today's reading, you know the t the scriptures go on to tell us this really insane in the membrane miracle that takes place of an angel coming in. Peter is literally walked straight out of the prison doors and freed to the point that he walks up to those who are praying for him knocks on the door and a little girl, you know, starts excitedly saying, Peter, Peter's at the door, and they're like, Okay, yeah, you're just seeing things like, Let let us adults do the important work. We'll we'll keep praying. They didn't even believe her. and when she's like, No, he really is there, they open the door, the the scripture says they were literally astonished in verse 16. They saw him and they were astonished. So they were praying and it was almost as if they were like, wait, God actually did that. so how easy is it for us to pray in concept, believe God for things in concept, and when they come to fruition, go, wait, you actually did that, God. so we we almost get to see that play out here. So there's this incredible thing that happens here for Peter, but of all the things that take place in this passage. what really stood out to me was that verse five where it says, Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And I was really reminded of the significance and the power of us praying one for another, especially for those who are enduring persecution. I think those of us who live here in America, you know, we do have a level of persecution that we face, but it's nothing like what we see taking place here in this text. And if you take just a few minutes even to do some research online, you can see the severity of the persecution that's actually taking place all over the world. And so I think it's important that we remind ourselves, we stir ourselves up to not just be aware of the persecution of our brothers and sisters in Christ that's taking place all over the world, but that we be reminded today through that of the power of prayer and that our prayers matter, that they do make a difference. even when we see here, I don't even know if the people praying, surely they thought they it would make a difference. But even if there was a disconnect in their faith of was God really gonna come through, was something really gonna happen because of how astonished they were. you know, how big or small was their faith, I don't know. you know, we I talked about this a little bit ago on the podcast about, you know, big faith or small faith and I I do believe that God grows us in our faith, but I think the starting place for any prayer is just whether or not there is faith. And so clearly there was faith there, just to have some faith. because God says if you would have faith as even as small as a mustard seed, this you can move this mountain. And so it's it's not about the size of our faith, but it's just about coming to God in faith and believing that our prayers do make a difference. It's not us, but it's God that is moving. And so, but we don't stand idly by and just say, all right, God, well, you just do your thing. We have power in our words. There are our words carry weight. And what do we pray? We pray God's word over people, we pray the victory that we have in Christ. Over people, and we declare God's goodness and his faithfulness that his word would go forth, that the gospel of truth would go forth. We want to pray for strength, for endurance, for protection. so we see even in this passage that Peter was protected. if you keep reading, after Peter was freed, he shares with them. He says in verse seventeen, but motioning to them with h his hand to keep silent. So he says, Hey guys, just calm down. I know you're excited. He declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. So he gives glory to God. And he said, Go tell these things to James and to the brethren. So this is not the same James, obviously, that had just been killed. this is he was saying, declare it to James, the half brother of Jesus. And he departed and went to another place. So what do you think it was that he was saying, Go go share? Well, I believe that it wasn't just to say, Hey, tell this cool story about how an angel let me out, but it was like, Hey, share w exactly what we read. Share how pr prayer was offered up, share how God protected me. when we see another brother in the Lord was taken from us, we see we're God delivered me through this. now, even though James had been taken, God still got glory in all of that. because look, even though James' life had been taken People are still looking and recognizing that the apostles are still choosing to follow Jesus despite people's lives being taken. And so every time the enemy tries to come in and still kill and destroy, God's kingdom, his glory keeps advancing. The gospel kept going forward. And so when things come against us, when people come against us, when the enemy comes against us, that's where Jesus allows us to continue when we lean on Him. In with one another, we lock arms in prayer in encouragement with our words, we step forward together, we can still take ground and we give testimony of the goodness and the faithfulness of God. So all that to say, God is good, he is faithful. I'm thankful for the prayers of the church that we continue to lift one another up. specifically our brothers and sisters who are persecuted all over the world. But hey, even here where we are, be pr we pray for one another, pray for our leaders. anyone who's in leadership over you, in the church, both secular and sacred, have eyes to see. your prayers matter and people matter to God. So Lord, we thank you for your goodness and your faithfulness. Thank you, Lord, that you are always with us, that you never leave us or forsake us. God, we pray for those today that are enduring imprisonment, Lord, that are enduring any sort of suffering for the sake of your name. We pray for their strength. We pray for your protection. We pray for your mercy over their lives. Lord, we thank you for the glory that is going forth. We thank you for your gospel that is being spread, that all would come to know your name, for your goodness and your glory. In Jesus' name. Amen.