Problems, Persecution, and Prayer
1. Now about that time, Herod the king, stretched out his hands to vex certain of the Church.
2. And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.
3. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Those were the days of unleavened bread.)
4. And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
5. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing by the Church unto God for him.
Acts 12:1-5
The Problem leads to the Solution
I’m going to recommend a new slogan or expression: “the struggle is good.” That sounds like an absurd idea, right? Yet the Bible presents a positive side to the problems and struggles that the saints of God will face in life. It should be the resolve of every believer that there will never be a problem that God cannot solve. That is the easy belief. Yet there is something even more profound than that. Would we at least consider that even the problems will ultimately work out for good. Every believer, every child of God should view their problems and struggles in the light of Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God and for those who are the called according to His purpose. The believer knows this to be true because they know that God is True.
First, the believer should know that no matter what the problem may be, they will not be abandoned by God. He is with us through each conflict and turmoil. God has made a commitment not just to be with us but to work through us in dealing with the situation. In other words, the problems of life are often a catalyst to God’s extraordinary work in and through His people. Yes, God does mighty things through us in the face of the struggles and trials that we face.
Second, the believer should know that the hard ground of trials will become the fertile soil for God teaching us to follow and trust Him. As soldiers of the Cross of Christ, we must take on conflict as an opportunity to serve God and to show forth His Glory. It is as if the devil has made a wager with God “that if the saints are hit with trials they will cease their praise, give up on their prayers, and even abandon their faith.” So God allows those conflicts not only to show His great power in us but to also expose the devil for the liar that he is. As a result of enduring the conflict, the saints give testimony to the greatness of God’s Power.
The third thing that the believer should know is that they will know more about God at the end of the struggle than they did at the beginning. This is the “Wow, God” experience that every child of God discovers as they walk with Him through the valley experiences and hardships that will ultimately come their way. Let’s face it, you becoming a child of the King does not exempt you from hardships. Quit believing the Fairy Tale version of the Holy Scripture and start realizing that all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. As one saint put it, “you got to go through to get to.” If we are to arrive at a stronger state of being and purpose in Christ it will involve going through the low ground of sorrow. What would it look like for you to get to Heaven with all the other saints who have suffered and for you to stand there without a scratch? Come on now, trust God even in moments of pain.
This brings us to the fourth thing the believer should know and that is God has the whole thing planned from the beginning. Nothing that the devil throws out, conjures up, or invents will ever take God by surprise. Your Lord and Savior said these words, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Let us see how this particular aspect played out in Peter’s life and in the life of the Praying Church in Acts Chapter 12. God will allow His Church to go through problems and even persecution, but God will never allow His Church to be prevailed by the assault of evil. We are more than conquerors through Him that loves us.
Prepared for Persecution
Herod seized the opportunity to flex his authority by attacking the Church. This not only gave him pleasure in the sadistic sense, but it also raised his approval ratings with the Jewish leadership. This meant more political power and acceptance with Rome. To him, the attack on the Church was a smart move. Where was God? God was among his people saying, “bring it on.” Perhaps that is a bit dramatic but you get the point. God was not going to exclude the Church from this moment of trial because He had already prepared the Church and given them the strength to endure. Jesus had said before His Passion and Ascension, “blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for My Sake … rejoice and be exceedingly glad …” Matthew 5:11-12. So God was definitely not in Heaven puzzled about how to respond to Herod’s assault. To the contrary, Herod was playing into the Plan of God to send the Church forward with the Gospel. God knew the enemy’s scheme and had already equipped the saints to pray through their times of persecution.
This raises the question of whether we are prepared to face our persecutions? What would we do if this assault happens in our times? Would we resort to fight, flight, or fright in order to change the situation. Now about that time, Herod the king, stretched out his hands to vex certain of the Church … And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword … And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Those were the days of unleavened bread.) The only reprieve the Church had from Herod’s plan to kill Peter was the Jewish holiday of Passover. The enemy’s plan was clear: destroy the leaders of the Church and the movement will come to a halt. What was the Church’s plan? Prayer.
Notice please that the Church did not resort to protesting in public which seems to be the go-to-response of many “that’s not right” advocates in our culture. To us, prayer seems like a cop out instead of fighting back. As a matter of fact, some would even conclude that “praying” is the flight from the problem. Many view prayer as running and hiding and shifting all the responsibility on the God we believe in. Well, yes it is. Mainly because we must find someone to run to when the problems become greater than our ability to handle. So why not run to God our Faithful Shepherd? And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people … Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing by the Church unto God for him. Prayer is not a cop out. Prayer is not the last resort tactic to dealing with our problems. Prayer is our first response because that is what the Bible teaches and that is what we will practice. Philippians 4:6, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. So, as saints of God, we view prayer as our first response.
Praying to God, first and foremost gets the Church in the mode of listening and depending on God for answers. If we are going to survive the crisis of persecution, we must depend on the Power of God. Second, prayer fills us with faith to endure hardships as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. In prayer, our High Priest Jesus, strengthens us and pours His Spirit into our souls so that we can stand in the evil day. Thirdly, prayer is a time of reflection that we can rehearse in our hearts how God has been faithful to us in the past. Like David as he prepared to face Goliath, he rehearsed how God had delivered him from the bear and the lion and would no doubt deliver him from the giant. Lastly, prayer is a uniting force to remind the Church that we are together in this. While we may not be the one in the prison or facing the pain, we can certainly unite and “hold each other up in prayer.” Prayer lifts the hands of the one facing the trial. Much like Aaron and Hur (Exodus17:12) held up the hands of Moses and together they lifted up Joshua and the army as they faced the battle, that is the way we hold up others in prayer.
As a result of effective prayer, God arranged a breakthrough for Peter. First, the Angel of the Lord had to awaken Peter and cause the chains of captivity to fall off. Remember, the Church is praying but they can’t see the action that is taking place on the battle front. Then the Angel of the Lord led Peter out of the locked prison without waking any of Herod’s guards who were on duty to watch him. Finally, Peter is led to the street where he realized that he was not dreaming but God had in reality “set him free” from Herod’s plans. Peter immediately went to the house where the Church was praying to inform them that God has answered prayer. A young girl named Rhoda recognized Peter’s voice but does not open the door for joy, and instead tells them “Peter is at the door.” What was the Church’s response. First they said she was “mad.” Then they said that “it was Peter’s Angel.” But when Peter continued knocking: and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. Acts 12:16. The Church did not realize that what they were praying for had now manifested itself as Peter stood before them. Isn’t that just like the Church today? We pray and yet we find it hard to believe that God answers prayer. Well, as the account comes to a close, Peter gives the Church encouragement and then immediately departed from Jerusalem and heads out to preach to other people about Jesus. Thank God for answers to prayer.
Prayer Answers
What are some conclusions that we can draw from Peter’s persecution and the praying Church? Prayer is serious business. As we bring our crisis before the Throne of God, we must realize that if we are serious about the matter, God will always provide His answer in His own way. Prayer is not to change the Mind of God nor is it intended to move the Hand of God. Prayer is simply to help the Church focus on God’s answer. Prayer is serious business.
Secondly, prayer prepares the Church for something greater. We view problems and persecutions as interruptions in life. Our definition of problems is that they are only a waste of time, whereas God sees problems as part of His training process. If it were not for the problems, we would not be able to receive God’s answers. If it were not for the weight of heavy trials, we would not fully appreciate God’s strength. If it were not for the battles of life, we would not realize that the battle belongs to the Lord. Rather than viewing our difficulties and hardships as set backs we should really view them as a set up for greater things. Peter left his problem strong in God’s power. The Church arose from prayer with the confidence that God is Faithful and will always come to the defense of His people. We should arise from prayer always knowing that we can always trust God.
Not only is prayer serious business and not only does God use prayer to equip the Church for greater service, but prayer leads us to the better side of life through the path of persecution. I know that is an odd statement but as I reflect on some passages of Scripture, I realize that prayer is intended to change my attitude about suffering. Jesus said, “rejoice when you are persecuted.” The Apostle James said, “count it all joy.” The Apostle Paul said, “rejoice in tribulation.” What the Church fails to realize is that God puts joy into every situation in order that we might praise Him even in times of tribulation. No, we do not rejoice over the pain, but we rejoice in God who strengthens our hearts even while we are facing tremendous hardships. This teaches us that joy does not come from the absence of problems but joy comes from the Presence of God. The greatest thing about prayer is that we discover that God loves us no matter what. Rejoice and again I say rejoice.