30 Days - Day 23

Day 23

Acts 12:5

5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

The church has just suffered a blow humanly speaking. One of the pillars of the early church, one that was in Jesus’ inner circle, one of the apostles has been martyred. Seeing that politically this was a popular move, Herod moved to take Peter as well. Now, faced with the prospect of losing another apostle the church does all it knows to do ... all it can do.

We know that the early church practiced prayer! They prayed regularly, they prayed habitually but now we see that they also prayed continually. It seems that faced with this situation they organized prayer specifically for Peter, perhaps around the clock. They had seen God do amazing things over and over again. They knew that prayer is the tool that moves the heart of God. So, they organize and pray and seek for God to do what seems impossible once again.

A couple of years ago Jim Cymbala from Brooklyn Tabernacle wrote the book “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire”. In it he details God’s call in his life and in the Church to constant prayer. He details how over the years they developed a regular, habitual and constant prayer life. This was something that God had called them to and they have seen miracle after miracle as they have followed His leading. Now the church has prayer going on in its building 24/7. People crying out and interceding. They earnestly seek God in prayer.

This is not so much, though, about the need to have a church program that makes sure that there is prayer going on in the building 24/7, as wonderful as that may be. It is not about doing something just because it is the “right thing to do”. Instead it is about a heart that seeks God. About hearts that are stayed on Him and faithful. It is more about perseverance than program.

We see in the passage that from the time that Peter was taken that constant prayer was offered by the church to God. He was taken prisoner during the feast of unleavened bread and would be brought out once those days were completed. So Peter was in jail at the most 7 days. It was during this time that the church persevered in prayer. However, as we look at the story then we see that God waits to answer their prayers. He waited till the last moment. He waited until the very night before Peter was to be brought out and killed.

Jesus had exhorted the disciples on numerous occasions to preserver in prayer. A number of his parables and sayings were aimed at this and God was not beyond encouraging it in the early Church as well. God is not interested in many repetitions or lots of beautiful and flowery words but in an earnestness that seeks Him and doesn’t give up. He looks to His people to earnestly seek Him and call out to Him, and sometimes He waits to answer to have us seek and depend on Him all the more.

Prayer Requests Day 23

1) Please continue to pray for those people with whom we have closest relationships here. Miro & Mateja, Zoran & Nada, Sandra, Marko & Jadranka. Pray that God would bless their lives and open their hearts to the gospel
2) Olya has an open door this fall in helping groups learning Russian and English. Pray that these opportunities would lead to relationships and opportunities to share the gospel
3) Pray for open doors at the University and among students to meet and build relationships and see a Bible study form this October.
4) Pray for other acquaintances - Michael & Katerina, Kirsten & her husband, Marija & Vladko, Anya - build relationships and opportunities to share Christ