The Power of Intercession

And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. (Acts 12:11-16)

Peter was imprisoned around the same time that James was martyred. Both men were close to Jesus. Both were called and anointed. The enemy attacked both, but one survived, and one died. Why?

Scripture notes one apparent difference between James and Peter. Peter had the whole church praying for him, making intercessions on his behalf 24/7. The Bible tells us to pray for all saints (Ephesians 6:18), which means that you and I are responsible for praying for the entire body of Christ. We should stand in the gap for those attacked by the enemy and the world’s system.

When prayer was raised, God sent an angel to change things. The angel loosened Peter’s bands, opened the prison door, safely escorted him out of the prison yard, and led him to the house full of praying saints.

They treated it nonchalantly when he came to the door, saying it was “Peter’s angel.” That tells me two things. First, it wasn’t strange for them to see angels. Second, they expected the angel to be on assignment doing something for Peter because of their prayers. Intercession is powerful. We should prioritize it in our personal lives and our churches.

Practical Application

Remember to pray for the church. Pray for unity. Pray for those who are suffering persecution. Pray for angelic help on assignments and for support as believers connect with one another. Your prayers make a difference.

Acts 12:25; Matthew 18:19

Angelic Help

And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. (Acts 12:7-10)

Angels have been dispatched to help you fulfill the call of God on your life. You might think angels were only assigned to Old Testament prophets or early church leaders, but God has assigned angels to every believer and every assignment. Angels are with you to help you fulfill whatever God has called you to do.

In Acts 12:7-10, Peter was so sure that his deliverance was coming that he fell into a deep sleep despite being imprisoned. That’s evidence of the peace of God surrounding his heart and mind in a chaotic moment. The angel had to poke Peter to wake him so he could do God's assignment. He would get Peter out of immediate danger.

The angel asked Peter to get dressed to prepare for his deliverance. Notice that it was only after Peter had dressed that he was led out. God’s deliverance is supernatural, but it still requires our active participation. God will give us practical things to do to walk in the freedom He has for us. As Peter followed, the final barrier - the iron gate - opened up and gave him access to the city streets. Peter could not pry open those gates with his own strength. One person could not do it easily, even if they had access to it. The angel could do something physical that men could not do easily. Angels are on assignment in your life to prepare the way for you to accomplish all that God has called you to.

Practical Application

Expect angelic help. The Word tells us that angels are called to be ministers for the heirs of salvation. That’s you and me. We don’t pray to our angels; we assign them and put them to work, helping us fulfill God’s call on our lives. Angels respond to God’s Word, so speak it and get your angels working on your behalf.

Psalm 3:5; Acts 5:19

No Fear Here

Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth 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. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. (Acts 12:1-6)

Herod had killed James. James was one of the big three (Peter, James, and John) that Jesus took with Him everywhere. James was martyred because Herod was trying to become more popular with the Jews. He persecuted and killed Christians to get the approval of the crowd. People involved in the world’s system still attack Christians to gain greater favor with the world’s system. Peter was close to James, and his death must have been a shock. On top of the emotional pain of knowing that one of his best friends was now gone, Peter was imprisoned, and Herod planned to do the same to him as he did to James.

What did Peter do in such a situation? Was he crying out to God, travailing in prayer, begging the four guards that were stationed around him to spare his life? No. Peter was snoring.

Even in a prison cell, Peter had no fear. Even after his friend was killed, Peter allowed the peace of God to guard his mind and his heart, so he was not concerned about what man would do to him. He knew God had a plan, and he knew people were praying.

Practical Application

Don’t allow fear to take control. Refuse to give fear the time of day. Take time today to write two or three Scriptures addressing that fear and keep the paper with you. When the fear tries to attack, take those Scriptures out and speak them out loud. Declare peace and walk in it.

Ephesians 6:20; Hebrews 13:6