Small Shifts, Big Faith: Prayer Changes Us (Part V)

Sermon Title: Small Shifts, Big Faith – Prayer Changes Us…

Good News Statement: Jesus encourages his church to be alive

Summary: The church isn’t perfect but yet is willing to grow in faith, practice love, and be alive today and tomorrow.

Preached: Sunday, July 12^th, 2026 at Dogwood Prairie UMC & Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSVUE): Acts 12:5-10 Today’s scripture passage comes from the Book of Acts. In this specific passage, Peter is delivered from prison because the church prayed fervently for him. Because of prayer, Peter was changed, Peter was set free, and Peter was able to continue the work of Christ in his life. Our scripture reading comes from the Book of Acts Chapter Twelve, Verses Five thru Ten. May the hearing and understanding of this scripture add a blessing to your life?

 

5 While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him.

Peter Delivered from Prison

6 The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists. 8 The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 Peter[a] went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel’s help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 After they had passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside and walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left him.

Luke 18:1

18 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.

Luke 21:36

36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Mark 11:17

17 He was teaching and saying “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”

 

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”

 

 

Introduction:

The ministry of Jesus Christ has been shared. Healings have been performed. The blind were able to see and the lame able to walk. Those demon possessed were set free. The chains of the oppressed were broken. People began to believe and prayed to have their “unbelief turn into belief” (Mark 9:24). Some were even raised from the dead to breathe again. And some were welcomed home after being outcast to the dark, damp, tombs outside of the city walls.

Then, after riding into Jerusalem on a never before ridden donkey and being praised as the people laid their cloaks on the ground as shouts of “Hosannas” filled the air, Jesus is turned over to the religious leaders of the day. Jesus is questioned and tortured by the Roman soldiers—beaten nearly to death—prior to receiving a crown of thorns and a purple robe as a sign of earthly mockery. He was presented to the people in the presence of Pontius Pilate, who said, “But what crime has he committed? I cannot find anything he has done to deserve death! I will have him whipped and set him free” (Luke 23:22, GNT). To which the people responded, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (Luke 23:20, GNT). Luke 23:24 states, “So Pilate passed the sentence on Jesus that they were asking for.”

Jesus is marched from the palace to Calvary, bearing the weight of the cross—most likely the horizontal beam—as excruciating pain shot through his body with every step, as blood dripped from his head to the ground, soaking the dirty road beneath his feet, and as both cries and shouts surrounded him. On Calvary, he hung on the cross for six hours before taking his last breath and proclaiming “It is finished” (John 19:30). Then he was taken down from the cross and laid in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Three days later he rose from the dead to prove that death does not have the last word, that a tomb sealed by a large stone could not withhold him, and that an instrument of death—the cross—is a promise of hope and salvation. And now, after 40 days of walking this earth in his resurrected form, he has ascended to heaven; but before leaving this earth, he gave his apostles and disciples a challenge: to keep the church alive.

This is where the Book of Acts comes into play. For those that are unaware, the Book of Acts (or sometimes called the Acts of the Apostles), written during the time of 33AD to 62AD, is a sequel to the Gospel of Luke. Luke was a physician back in the day and has been credited to write the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. The theme of Luke’s writing after the ascension of Jesus Christ is focused on how the Holy Spirit empowers believers to declare the gospel among both Jews and Gentiles. In doing so they establish the church, which is the fulfillment of God’s promises from the beginning of time. Jesus states in Matthew 16:18, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Luke’s purpose for writing the Book of Acts—the journey and testimony of Paul and the rise and growth of the early church—was to give an orderly account of the early church after Christ’s resurrection; and to highlight the notion that keeping the church alive was not, is not, and will not be easy. But keeping the church alive is necessary. So, for the next several weeks, we are going to explore certain themes sprinkled throughout the Book of Acts which I believe remind us of how important it is to keep the church alive today for tomorrow. And the question I propose to you is this: “What are we doing and could be doing to keep our church and the whole Church—the body of Christ—alive?”

 

Body:

Theologian and academic scholar, C.S. Lewis once shared the following about prayer: “Prayer doesn’t change God, it changes me.” Outside of Sunday mornings, or even Sunday’s in general, when do you pray? Where do you pray? How do you pray? What do you pray for? The Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan American think tank based in Washington, D.C. which provides information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping the United States and the world, in a recent survey on prayer concluded, “Fewer than half of Americans (44%) say they pray each day. Of U.S. adults, 33% often or always pray before meals, 19% participate in prayer groups, and 23% say they pray weekly or a few times a month. Nearly one-third of U.S. adults seldom or never pray.”[1]

According to a survey conducted in August of 2017 by the Barna Group—a Christian research organization that provides data and insights on the trends affecting faith, culture, and ministry today—indicated that “94% of American adults who pray do so by themselves, and 82% of prayers are silent. Only 2% audibly pray with a group or collectively in a church.”[2] Lastly, Paul Walker noted in the Medium, “The most common subjects of prayer include family (71%), gratitude (42%), healing (40%), and friends (40%).”[3]

Besides this morning, when was the last time you prayed and do you remember what or who you prayed for? As the early church was forming, challenges were faced, enduring trials were around every corner, and opportunities to throw in the towel were inevitable: the early church was not formed overnight nor when everything was easy. The early church was formed by faith, by trust, and by prayer. Today, we examine a moment in the early church when prayer not only saved someone but truly changed the world. Church, what are we praying for today? Prayer doesn’t change God, it changes us.

 

Movement One: Acts 12 – What is Happening as a Whole?

In Acts 12, “While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him.” The graphic picture of Acts 12 is not strange to the church. The church has always faced opposition. Since its inception, evil forces have been trying to stop the church and even to destroy the church: there were persecutions, trials, tortures, trauma, threats, and the list goes on. But in every single moment in which the church faced opposition, the church found a deeper reason to grow and become stronger. But how? Well, the New Testament believers learned how to face persecutions and overcome them by prayer. The early church lived with the conviction that prayer makes the impossible possible. After hearing the news concerning the Apostle James’ execution, the church prayed intensely and steadily over Peter’s situation. The church didn’t want to appear week or vulnerable but strong and ever present. The church didn’t want to endure another loss. Their prayers were soon answered. In the early church, the power and presence of God and prayer went together.

No amount of preaching, teaching, singing, music, or activity will bring forth the genuine power and presence of the Holy Spirit like the fervent prayers of the people. Prayer changes things! It has been said that “prayer changes people and people change things.” One of the most amazing privileges of a believer is their access to God through prayer. We all face trials and tribulations but praying will help us overcome. Why? Because a praying believer can lay down in trouble and wake up to a miracle. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).

Jesus taught believers to pray and encouraged them to pray because it’s through prayer that our heart is truly revealed before God. Luke 18:1 states, “Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.” Luke 21:36 shares, “Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place and to stand before the Son of Man.” Mark 11:17 notes, “He was teaching and saying…’My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.’” Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Joseph M. Scriven and Charles C. Converse remind us in their hymn to, “Take it to the Lord in prayer.”[4] The early church was called to pray—to take everything to the Lord in prayer—and that is what we see happening in Acts Chapter 12.[5] The church prayed. The church prayed in a devastating situation.

In Acts 12, Luke brings our attention back to the Church of Jerusalem. The gentile church at Antioch was now well established and accepted by the church in Jerusalem. Now the persecution of the church in Jerusalem intensifies again. Herod Agrippa was the grandson of Herod the Great who tried Jesus before sending him to Pontius Pilate to be examined again.[6] Herod Agrippa’s first challenge was to restore law and order to the region. Herod’s second challenge was to win the favor of the Jewish leadership, the Pharisees, and Sadducees. He was partly Jewish and had a good understanding and a deep respect for Jewish customs.

Historians say that Herod attended all the Jewish feasts, rituals, and honored their worship services with his presence. Herod decided to move against the Christians to appease the Jewish leaders who opposed him. He thought his action would solidify his position and earn their support. Maybe Caesar would hear a favorable report about his actions in the region. Herod’s efforts to appease the Jewish leaders seem to have a measure of success. The church was their common enemy! And the only way they church could fight back was to pray; and that is exactly what they did. When they prayed, the impossible became possible.

 

Movement Two: Trials, Prayers, and Enemies…

The early church quickly learned that effective prayer invites divine intervention. Our prayer cannot dictate God’s actions or demand our own way, but we can place the crisis in God’s hands. The church ought to pray with great expectation knowing that God is a good God who loves us, sees our crisis, hears our prayers, and knows what to do. Let’s explore why prayer is important as a church.

First, our loving God sees every trial. In our text, we see that Peter was taken prisoner and held for a period of time, expecting his life to be no more. But yet, God saw what was taking place. Peter isn’t the only one in scripture to experience trials. Moses faced trials as he led the Israelites through the wilderness, David faced trials as he was creating a kingdom and fighting Goliath, Jeremiah faced trials because he didn’t believe in himself, the Samaritan Woman at the Well in the Gospel of John faced trials because people couldn’t see beyond her past, Mary Magdalene endured trials of sinful natures, the disciples faced trials and persecutions, and Jesus ended up on the cross because during his trial the people decided to “Crucify Him.” Encountering a trial of some sort is inevitable: trials will happen. But God is still present. Jesus is still walking beside you.

Jenkins and Huffman share in their book “Blessed Are the Chosen,” an interactive Bible Study to the Christian drama television series The Chosen, “Jesus has been through the hard things. Jesus lost people he loved to sickness and death too, including John the Baptist and his earthly father, Joseph. He lost his reputation in his hometown of Nazareth, probably along with a lot of his childhood friends. His entire life, he was plain and overlooked. He was poor, so he experienced the physical discomfort of hunger pains and sleeping on the ground. He was rejected, cast aside, misunderstood, mistreated, and ultimately murdered by the very people he came to save. He was indeed a man of sorrows, intimately acquired with grief. Including yours.”[7] Jesus was put on trial.

Just like Jesus, we are put on trial every day. We encounter moments when our faith is tested, when our beliefs are challenged, when people pushback against us, and when things don’t seem to go our way. We are constantly put on trial. However, we can take comfort in the fact that God sees us just like he saw Nathanael under the fig tree (John 1:43-52). We need not feel deserted or abandoned, for we are not left alone. Our trials may not be open persecution for our faith, it may be sickness and disease, or trouble in our home or on our jobs. No matter what, our loving God sees and he knows. One of Satan’s most effective weapons is to cause believers to feel abandoned and all alone: to cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Psalm 22:1). Settle it in your mind, God sees our trials. He has divine vision, he knows, and he cares! Jesus experienced all those trials because he cares about you.

Church, when it comes to our trials—those moments that test us—how do we respond? Do we shy away? Do we go into hiding? Do you run? Do we avoid the situation? Do we just nod our heads and sweep the “thing” or issue under the rug? Do you leave the person in “prison”? Every day the church undergoes trials; but every day the church has the chance to remind itself that God can still see them, God still has a plan for them, and God still needs them. Church, we cannot let our trials define us because there are people out there that are looking for a loving church so that they can be cared for during their own trials. If we allow the trials to win, then what kind of church are we?

The church isn’t meant to be a single person: it’s meant to be a collection of people, the Body of Christ, who are eager to “walk through the valley of the shadow death” and fear no evil for one another. As we continue to move forward as a church, with every trial that we encounter, we must remember that God can still see us. In our trials we must pray for the Lord not to remove his eyes from us but to keep his eyes upon us as we continue to seek to be the church God needs us to be.

Second, God needs us to pray for our trials. I reminded you earlier, that God sees us in our trials, but we also need to prayer for our trials. No matter how powerful they seem to be, our loving God knows how to take care of His children and how to deal with every one of their trials. Although Herod was boastful and proud, God knows how to bring the proud low. Herod was trying to stop the Church, but God stopped Herod. Herod was trying to glorify himself, his position and power, but God was glorified. Herod was trying to make a spectacle of Peter, but God made a spectacle of him in the city. God received the glory due to Himself. In an act of judgment, God was glorified. Through prayer God will break our chains, open iron gates, set his people free and at the same time bring judgment upon our trials. The church did not start a protest or send a delegation to Herod for a meeting, the church prayed. They prayed for the trial before them.

Herod was not prepared for the wrath of God. He did not realize that fighting a child of God was really fighting God. When we persist in prayer, the Lord will fight for us. The songwriter says, “The devil can’t harm a praying man.” Herod died a horrible death, in tremendous pain, eaten alive from the inside out by worms (Acts 12:21-23). To be eaten by worms was considered a most horrible way to die. His sins of persecution of the righteous and arrogant pride were serious sins, and in this case, God chose to punish him immediately. God does not punish all sin immediately, but the wage of sin is still death. Herod found no place for repentance. His judgment on James has been swift and deliberate. Here, he reaps what he has sown.

Today, we have another opportunity to get right with God. Today, we have received brand new mercies. Unlike Herod, we can be forgiven. The Lord offers it today. We ought to accept Christ’s offer of forgiveness and not wait another minute. Christ died for our sin. Every one of us will either die to our sin or die in our sin. The Herod Family was a bad lot, tried Jesus, slaughtered innocent children trying to kill Jesus, beheaded John the Baptist, killed James, yet our loving God withheld his judgment. Herod finally crossed the line and judgment came.

In your life, you will encounter trials that you can’t handle on your own but can be resolved by prayer. Leonard Kim, found himself nearly homeless. He didn’t have the money to pay his rent or even eat lunch and had to move in with his grandparents. He realized that he had to do something with his life and decided to blog. He now has more than 10 million viewers and runs an extremely successful business. Leonard, during his trial prayed and his life was changed.

Paul Isenberg found out his wife, Nicole, had Stage IV Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer when she was nine months pregnant with their child. She went through six and a half years of treatment before she passed. His experience taught him the importance of the support required to get through that time. It led him to create a group of people to support others by raising money for the expenses not covered by insurance, like driving to get treatments, hotels, and other expenses that can add up to more than $30,000 a year. He now helps families be able to meet those expenses with his company Bringing Hope Home. Paul could have given up and let the trial win, but he prayed and now helps others.

Lastly, Cheryl Hunter set out to be a model. She flew to Europe for the first time. She was abducted, raped and left for dead. She now spends her time helping others understand that there is hope. Her story was shared in an incredible TED talk, and she spends her time helping people learn to be successful, self-confident, and happy, no matter what comes their way. Cheryl’s trial could have negatively affected her life, but through prayer, her life was saved and others are now changed and given hope by her story.

Church, we need to pray for our trials. We know God is with us in our trials, but we need to pray for them. We need to lift them up to the Lord. We need to acknowledge them. We need to examine them. We need to trust that God will turn our trials into moments of triumphs. When we pray for our trials, we are not only changed but others can be changed as well.

Thirdly and lastly, God hears every prayer. Herod decided to hold Peter until after the Passover, when the city would be filled with Jews. Peter was known as the leader of the Church. Herod had secured Peter between two soldiers and set two at the entrance of the door. Peter was bound, but prayer was loose! The death of James and the crisis at hand prompted the church to pray without ceasing. This lesson teaches us the power of prayer. We should keep on trusting and keep on praying. Peter has such a level of trust in God that he was soundly sleeping. He has a peaceful conscience, a lively hope, and the consolations of the Holy Spirit. In the full prospect of death, Peter finds himself standing on the promises of God. Jesus had said, “that when you get old, you will be led about.” He is confident that things will work for his good. Our loving God will hear and answer prayer. When you have confidence in God, you can sleep in a prison or lion’s den with the same grace and peace. And in order to make that happen, you must pray.

While the church was praying in expectation, an angel visits Peter. He awakens Peter and releases him from the guards. The angel causes Peter to dress himself, put on his shoes and gather his belongings. When God delivers you, he wants to bring you out everything, all that belongs to you. Peter walks out of his imprisonment, through the iron gate, thinking it was a dream. Peter was unsure of what was happening, but he followed in faith. Once he passed through the gate, Peter realized that God had sent an angel to deliver him. Peter goes to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, the place where the Last Supper was held. Peter understood without a doubt that God had rescued him.

Now the church is reassured again that God answers prayer. This divine revelation should strengthen our faith. Our loving God sees every trial, and God answer every prayer. God’s manifested power in the church always strengthens our faith. We need to pray that God will manifest His power in the church again. We also need to pray when we see fellow believers going through desperate situations that they will find help in God. Many times, God will respond to the intercessory prayers of His people. A church that is earnest and persistent in prayer gets God’s attention. Prayer changes things, so we should pray often and with confidence! The church’s prayers were answered quicker than they expected and in ways they never expected. While they were still praying, the answer arrived at the door. They could hardly believe it. When the answer comes to your prayers, don’t be surprised, just be thankful! Our loving God sees every trial and hears every prayer.

Church, what are we praying for today? What do we want God to hear from us? Yes, we are praying for those on our prayer list? Yes, we are praying for those who aren’t able to worship with us today? Yes, we are praying for situations taking place near and far, for people traveling, for those who are grieving, for those battling cancer, for those recovering from surgery, and for ourselves. But what is it as a church that we want God to hear in our prayers? God hears every prayer: no matter how simple, extravagant, profound, emotional, or how confusing the prayer may be God hears every prayer. Church, what are we praying for? Are we praying for our pews to be filled? Are we praying for the next project? Are we praying for guidance to fulfill a need? Are we praying for the future of the church? Are we praying to overcome our trials? Are we praying for our doors to remain open? Are we praying that the children continue to fill our space with their stories, laughter, and smiles? Are we praying that our heart continue to be big and filled with love? What are we praying for as a church?

Whatever it is, we need to remember that God hears our prayers. Even the prayers that seem to be on repeat, God hears every single prayer. And in time, God will answer those prayers. The early church prayed for Peter, who was sleeping in prison. God heard their prayers and set Peter free. Church, just think what could happen if we prayed like the early church prayed: with faith, with trust, with belief, and with conviction in God. What do we need to be praying for today? What do we want God to hear?

 

Movement Three: Why Prayer is Important…

When we pray, something happens in our life. Peter is arrested, again; and similar to his other imprisonments, it won’t last long. But unlike his previous arrests, Peter is given specific instructions. We are told that the angel of the Lord instructed Peter to “Get up quickly…. Fasten your belt and put on your sandals…. Wrap your cloak around you and follow me” (Acts 12:7-8). The Message Bible puts it this way, “Hurry!… Get dressed…. Put on your shoes…. Grab your coat and let’s get out of here” (Acts 12:7-9). There is a sense of urgency to get out of the prison. The angel doesn’t want to waste any time. One could say that the angel was “late for a very important date.”

Peter doesn’t understand what is happening. Our text tells us that he thought he was dreaming. But he follows. He got up, fastened his belt, put on his sandals, grabbed his cloak, and followed the angel. He didn’t ask questions. He didn’t talk back. He didn’t make excuses. He didn’t echo the words of Moses, who told God, “Send someone else.” He didn’t back down from that “goliath” in the room. He didn’t let the wilderness scare him. Peter followed the angel of the Lord. Why? There are two reasons.

First, because he allowed his faith and trust in God to guide his heart. He did exactly what the Israelites did when God told them, during Passover as they were eating, to be ready to go when I call upon you. God said, “have your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand” (Exodus 12:11). Peter was given instructions; and without fully understanding the reality of the situation, did what the angel of the Lord instructed him. And the best instruction he accepted was he followed the angel which is exactly what Jesus constantly invites us to do. But unlike Peter, we sometimes hesitate and tell Jesus excuse after excuse after excuse. If Peter made excuses and chose to remain in prison, I don’t think the church would be what it is today. After everything that Jesus has done and continues to do for us, we still hesitate to do what Jesus needs us to do for him.

Second, Peter was able to follow the angel of the Lord because of prayer. The early church prayed fervently for Peter. They prayed for Peter’s protection; they prayed for Peter’s safety; they prayed for Peter to be set free; and they prayed for God to intervene on their behalf. Peter was able to follow the angel because the church prayed. Remember, prayer doesn’t change God, it changes us. Peter was once a prisoner but now is a free man. Peter was changed. I like to say that prayer is “life-changing, life-saving, life-transforming, life-forgiving, and life-protecting.” Prayer is everything we need in life because it is heard by God and answered by God. It’s through prayer that we are changed. David prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). When we pray, God is searching our heart to make it ever new. The early church prayed for Peter. And Peter was changed.

 And through prayer, the impossible becomes possible. Peter should not have been able to walk out of that prison like he did: he was chained between two soldiers and guards stood by the front door. There is no way Peter should have been able to fasten his belt, put on his sandals, and walk out the front door. But because the church prayed, the impossible became possible. Peter walked out, made it through the iron gate, and found himself standing in front of the upper room, where the others were gathered. And he shared about his experience. He told about his story. When we pray, what seems impossible can become possible.

When we pray, as Paul tells us, “We can do all things though him who strengthens us” (Philippians 4:13). Church, this world needs prayer: people need to be reminded of how powerful prayer is and can be. It saves people, it changes people, it makes the impossible possible, and it reveals the miraculous workings of God before our very eyes. Peter was set free and was able to follow the instructions of the angel of the Lord because the early church prayed for him. Is there anyone in your life we needs prayers to be set free or who needs to be changed or who needs to witness something possible?

 

Conclusion:

Herod thought he would have the last word. He thought that he could stop the work of God, but he was stopped, and the work of God grew and multiplied. The day will come when God’s enemies will be vanquished and subdued. Until then the church can be assured that our loving God sees every trial and hears every prayer. Though He may not come when we want Him, He will come!

Because the early church prayed, Peter was set free and the church was able to continue to grow and share the message of Jesus Christ. People were changed. People were saved. People were given hope, healing, and peace. People saw what was once impossible become possible. Prayer doesn’t change God, it changes us: it changes the church. But God needs us to pray. God needs us to pray as individuals. And God needs us to pray as a church. Have you been praying? If so, don’t stop praying! If you haven’t prayed in a while or even at all, today is the day to pray—to talk to Christ. There are many people out there that need us to pray for them—maybe you are one of them.

The early church was built on prayer. Not just Sunday morning prayers, but every day, every circumstance, every situation kind of prayers. And because they prayed, we get the chance today to continue what they stared back then! Don’t stop praying. What you are praying for? What are we praying for as a church? Keep on praying…

Let it be so…

 

Closing Prayer:

Let us pray… Dear God, help us to pray, maybe to pray a little more than we have been doing. As we pray, hear our prayers and see our trials. As we pray, changes us but also change those who we are praying for. And as we pray, reveal how the impossible becomes the possible. In your name we pray. Amen.

 

Benediction:

Church, what we praying for today? Who do we need to be praying for? What sort of change do we want to see through our prayers? Never stop praying. Prayer doesn’t change God, but changes you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit go forth being the church God needs all of us to be. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

 

[1] Pew Research Center, “10. Prayer and other religious practices,” published February 26, 2025: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/prayer-and-other-religious-practices/  Accessed July 7, 2026.

[2] “Silent and Solo: How Americans Pray,” Barna Group, published August 15, 2017: https://www.barna.com/research/silent-solo-americans-pray/  Accessed July 7, 2026.

[3] “Research Shows That More People Still Pray Than We Often Think, “Medium, published July 25, 2026: https://medium.com/inspire-believe-grow/research-shows-that-more-people-still-pray-than-we-often-think-9d3f62c0cfa8  Accessed July 7, 2026.

[4] Charles C. Converse and Joseph M. Scriven, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” The New Church Hymnal, Newbury Park, California: Lexicon Music Inc., 1976, #302.

[5] In this crisis, of Peter being arrested, continual prayer was made to God by the church on Peter’s behalf. Peter was trapped in the hands of Herod, and the church united in prayer was determined to wrestle Peter out of Herod’s hand. We learn from this scripture (1) that when the church is plunged into deep perplexities, the only help it can hope for must come through prayer.; (2) that when anyone suffers, it is the duty of the church to pray to God; and (3) that when God intends to bestow any extraordinary mercy upon His church, he stirs up the hearts of his people to pray for it in a very extraordinary manner.

[6] Herod Agrippa’s uncle was Herod Antipas who was the Herod who had John the Baptist beheaded and paraded John’s head on a platter during his birthday party. Now the new Roman Emperor, Caligula made Herod Agrippa king over Judea, Persia, Samaria, and the territories of Galilee.

[7] Amanda Jenkins, Dallas Jenkins, and Douglas S. Huffman, Blessed Are the Chosen: An Interactive Bible Study, Season 2, Colorado Springs, Colorado: David C. Cook, 2022, pg. 39-40.