First Tuesday| The Earnest Prayer of the Church

From Acts 12

“You should PRAY.”

When I hear that, I think: .

When I hear that, I should consider: .

📖 Philippians 4:6 (ESV) do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

📖 Acts 12:1 (ESV) About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.

📖 Acts 12:5 (ESV) So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. 

“Earnest” from a Greek word which means to “ ” It means to be “ “. It refers to “ “ involving a degree of “ “ and “ “.

Earnest Corporate Prayer:

1. Puts to .

📖 Acts 12:6 (ESV) Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. 

📖 Daniel 10:9-14 (ESV) Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground. 10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees…12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia…

Earnest Corporate Prayer:

2. Wakes the .

📖 Acts 12:7 (ESV) an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 

Earnest Corporate Prayer:

3. Breaks from .

📖 Acts 12:8 (ESV)  And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 

Earnest Corporate Prayer:

4. Opens our to what is .

📖 Acts 12:11 (ESV)  When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” 

Earnest Corporate Prayer:

5. Surprises us with the of .

📖 Acts 12:12 (ESV)  When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 

Notes Section: