TITLE: THE POWER OF APRAYING CHURCH: WHEN THE CHURCH PRAYS…
TEXT: ACTS 12: 1-19
INTRODUCTION
A. Every day, decisions are made that do not favor the life and livelihood of average, ordinary people
1. Micah 2:1, “Woe to those who devise iniquity, And work out evil on their beds! At morning light they practice it, Because it is in the power of their hand.”
2. Matthew 13:25 (NLT), “But that night as the workers slept, his enemy
came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away.”
3. Isaiah 5:20, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!“
4. Amos 2:6, “…they sell the righteous for silver, And the poor for a pair of
sandals.”
B. Nevertheless, God is working on the behalf of His people – and desires to work in miraculous and supernatural ways
1. Exodus 3:7, “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows”
2. Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
3. Psalm 20:6, “Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand.”
4. Isaiah 65:24, “It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And
while they are still speaking, I will hear.”
WHEN THE DEVIL WORKS
A. Jesus was persecuted – Herod
B. The church was persecuted – Herod
C. Peter was persecuted – Herod
D. Today…
1. Believers and the church are being persecuted
2. The world is becoming more emboldened
3. The devil desires to imprison and destroy
WHEN THE CHURCH PRAYS
A. Peter was in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church
B. Characteristics of the prayer… Constant = ektenēs = stretched out
1. At least, a couple of days. (The Passover was seven days)
2. All day long
3. Well into the night. (Peter is sleeping; the church is praying
C. God worked with miraculous and supernatural power
1. An angel appeared, and light shone in the cell
2. Peter’s chains fell off
3. They passed the first and second guard posts undetected
4. The iron gate opened by itself (Itself = automatos)
CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK: I WILL COMMIT TO CONSTANT PRAYER
WORK FOR THE WEEK
