The Power of Prayer in the Church

Prayer is proof that we are engaged in the battle

‍
Acts 12:1-5
It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute
them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with
approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of
Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four
squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. 5 So Peter
was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
The one concern of the devil is to keep the saints from prayer. Our enemy fears nothing from prayerless
studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion...he laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when
we pray. Prayer turns ordinary mortals into men of power, it brings fire, it brings rain, it brings life, it brings
God, there is no power like that of prevailing prayer - Samuel Chadwick in The path of prayer
‍

‍

God partners with his people through prayer

‍
Acts 12:6-10
6 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. 7 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. 8 Then the angel said to
him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him.9
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. 10 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.

‍

Everyone has room to grow in their faith through prayer

‍
Acts 12:11-17
11 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.”v12
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. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named
Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back
without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” 15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she
kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” 16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they
opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet
and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters
about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.

‍