Faithless Prayer Answered

Faithless Prayer Answered

2013-10-27

Acts 12:1-5, 17

1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword, 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

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.

History is filled with powerful & influential people fighting against God's purpose. (Stalin, Hitler, etc.)

·      The French agnostic philosopher Voltaire, “In 50 yrs Jesus Christ forgotten.” 

o   50 years later, they were printing Bibles in Voltaire’s former home in Geneva.

There are four generations of Herod's family in Bible….each evil:  Children copy their parents actions.

·      Herod the Great: murdered Jewish babies.

·      Herod Antipas: Jesus Christ's trial & John the Baptizer's execution.

·      Herod Agrippa II was one of Paul's judges.

·      Here Herod Agrippa I (friend of Caligula) murdered John’s brother James;

Herod persecuted Christians to please the Jewish leaders and to solidify his political position & destroy church.  Acts 12:1-5

·      The loss of James & Peter devastated the young church.

Two soldiers were chained to Peter, as well as two outside, working 6 hr shifts, 16 soldiers in all.

·      That “maximum security” was probably due to Peter's previous escape.  Acts 5:19-24

·      There was no human hope of escape, there was little he could do…he was restricted to prayer.

o   “You can do more than pray after you have prayed; but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.”  John Bunyan

o   When I pray coincidences happen, and when I do not they don't. -- William Temple

Peter was sound asleep….he had divine peace.  Acts 12:7-10

·      The soldiers were dazed, unconsciousness, or blinded; they didn’t know what happened.

o   Executioners executed people, yet condemned Peter set free.

o   Soldiers may have been hesitant to guard Christians after this.

Peter was delivered, but James was executed. Why?

·      Life is full of difficult questions like this. Handicapped vs. athletic gift. etc.

·      Did James pray wrong or have no faith? Acts 12:12-16

o   In spite of the unbelief, God honored their prayers & glorified Himself.

·      These are examples of the contrasting will of God for two different lives.

o   Trust: He works all things according to His own good pleasure for His glory & for Christians good.

·      God is sovereign & is not obliged to treat all Christians alike.

o   "General" send, move, protect, & bring home his soldiers as he sees fit.

o   Peter left for an unknown place.  He fades out. The focus is on Paul in Acts 13-28.

Question? Why pray if God is sovereign, He’ll do what he wants to do anyway?

·      Prayer is not to manipulate or inform God (Mt 6:8) but increase faith & trust in Him.

·      It is one of the greatest privileges of life….it is fellowship with God

o   It is an act of obedience…God’s Word calls us to pray. Phil 4:6, Col 4:2-4

·      It honors and delights God by acknowledging dependence upon a sovereign God & indicates the person is genuinely convinced of His wisdom, love, goodness, power, etc.

o   Prayer not for bending God to our will, but rather it bends us toward His will.

Nevertheless prayer allows us to participate in God’s plan & have some effect in how that plan will be accomplished.  James 4:2b, 5:16, Lk. 11:9-10

·      God does what he does through means like prayer & witnessing. 

Never underestimate the power of a praying church.

·      Chapter opens with James dead, Peter in prison, & Herod triumphing;

o   It closes with Herod dead, Peter free, & the Word of God triumphing.

o   Corporate prayer's value is in unity of mind & spirit not quantity.

·      Fervent, specific prayer to God with other Christians changes things.

o   I fear John Knox's prayers more than an army of 10,000 men. I had rather stand against the cannons of the wicked than against the prayers of the righteous.-- Mary, Queen of Scotland

There is an increasing worldwide animosity toward God & the Christian faith.

·      But we should never be frightened by the loud voices of Satan's influencers.

o   The story from Genesis to Revelation & all of history: nobody ultimately wins who fights against the cross & God’s purposes. Prov. 21:30