How do you pray? Do you pray boldly and pray expectantly as the author of Hebrews said in Hebrews 4:16, which says: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Unfortunately, prayers are often one or the other: praying boldly but not expectantly or vice versa. Well, the Bible has one of the great stories of praying boldly and expectantly. In Acts, chapter 12, Peter has been tossed in prison by Herod. As he was in prison, fellow believers were at a home praying boldly and expectantly for him. Let’s pick up our story at verse 6:
Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands.
Currently, 30% of all Americans have difficulty sleeping. Well, Peter did not, although he was about to be executed. How could this be? It "be” because Peter was content to glorify God, whether in life or by death. What a splendid example for us! As he is sleeping, he gets a wake-up call by an angel with a mom complex! The angel acts like your mom when you were a teenager. The angel pops Peter and says, “Get up!” And to emphasize this, the chains fall off Peter.
8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
The phrase “dazed and confused” applies to our groggy Peter. The angel goes back again to the “mom persona” and says, “Get dressed and follow me!” Peter obeys.
10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
Peter is now free. The prayer group has been praying boldly and expectantly and God has responded in an amazing way. But Peter is now a wanted man, so he knows to go to the location of the prayer group meeting, which is at John Mark’s mom’s house.
12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate.
Visualize this: the church folks are praying intensely (boldly and expectantly), there’s a knock on the door, and the young servant girl Rhoda answers. She hears Peter’s voice and is so excited she leaves Peter outside in harm’s way because she couldn’t wait to tell the others.
What about those praying? Well, they can’t believe that their bold and expectant prayers have been promptly answered.
15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.
The prayer group must have been so overjoyed at seeing Peter they are whooping and hollering. But Peter is a wanted man, so he tells them to “nip it!,” then tells them to inform James (Jesus’ half-brother) and the others, and promptly skedaddles.
What do we learn from this fun story? Well, we cannot always expect God to do as we ask or give us what we want, but we can be sure He will always do what is right, which is His perfect will. Always.
We need to trust in the sovereignty of God because God is certainly able to do beyond all that we ask, so we should always be bold and expectant in our requests. Let’s all remember to pray Ephesians 3:20:
“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more that we might ask or think.”
One last time: pray boldly and expectantly!
Unfortunately, prayers are often one or the other: praying boldly but not expectantly or vice versa. Well, the Bible has one of the great stories of praying boldly and expectantly. In Acts, chapter 12, Peter has been tossed in prison by Herod. As he was in prison, fellow believers were at a home praying boldly and expectantly for him. Let’s pick up our story at verse 6:
Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands.
Currently, 30% of all Americans have difficulty sleeping. Well, Peter did not, although he was about to be executed. How could this be? It "be” because Peter was content to glorify God, whether in life or by death. What a splendid example for us! As he is sleeping, he gets a wake-up call by an angel with a mom complex! The angel acts like your mom when you were a teenager. The angel pops Peter and says, “Get up!” And to emphasize this, the chains fall off Peter.
8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
The phrase “dazed and confused” applies to our groggy Peter. The angel goes back again to the “mom persona” and says, “Get dressed and follow me!” Peter obeys.
10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
Peter is now free. The prayer group has been praying boldly and expectantly and God has responded in an amazing way. But Peter is now a wanted man, so he knows to go to the location of the prayer group meeting, which is at John Mark’s mom’s house.
12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate.
Visualize this: the church folks are praying intensely (boldly and expectantly), there’s a knock on the door, and the young servant girl Rhoda answers. She hears Peter’s voice and is so excited she leaves Peter outside in harm’s way because she couldn’t wait to tell the others.
What about those praying? Well, they can’t believe that their bold and expectant prayers have been promptly answered.
15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.
The prayer group must have been so overjoyed at seeing Peter they are whooping and hollering. But Peter is a wanted man, so he tells them to “nip it!,” then tells them to inform James (Jesus’ half-brother) and the others, and promptly skedaddles.
What do we learn from this fun story? Well, we cannot always expect God to do as we ask or give us what we want, but we can be sure He will always do what is right, which is His perfect will. Always.
We need to trust in the sovereignty of God because God is certainly able to do beyond all that we ask, so we should always be bold and expectant in our requests. Let’s all remember to pray Ephesians 3:20:
“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more that we might ask or think.”
One last time: pray boldly and expectantly!
Posted in Ken Alvis
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