Acts 12:1-19

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

 

1. See how The righteous are taken away. Vs.1

Herod is a royal title much as Pharaoh. The Herods are notorious for killing prophets and righteous men. They're vampires and blood thirsty enemies. 

Can you quickly pray these prayers?

a) In the name of Jesus, I announce that every Herod targeting my life is disgraced. 

b) I call EVERY VIOLENT HAND STRETCHED OUT AGAINST ME, WITHERED IN JESUS NAME. 

c) By the blood of Jesus, I terminate the terminators in Jesus name

Herod laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church, not outsiders. 

Satan loves to violate people in the church

 

And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. (Acts 12:4 ESV)

 

Herod killed James and he had evil intentions over Peter

d) Pray: I declare in Jesus name that ALL THE INTENTIONS OF THE ENEMIES FOR MY LIFE for my life are thwarted. 

 

2. Some people were happy with the death of James. They loved it. 

Was it God's will for James to die by Herod's sword? I don't think so!k

 Possibly if the church prayed for James the way they prayed for Peter, he could be spared.

Many things that have died in your life could have been spared if you had prayed. 

Maybe if you had prayed and really prayed, you won't be in the mess you now find yourself. 

The bible said that Peter was sleeping the night before his execution. He couldn't pray for himself. But at the hour of need, God stirred people up to pray for him.

May God raise people to pray for you when you cannot pray for yourself. 

 

LOOK AT THE POWER FROM THE INVISIBLE REALM IMPACTING ON THE NATURAL

Four notable miracles here:

1. Helplessness of the guards 

2. Peter's Chains fell off (Acts 12:7) 

3. Peter went through three gates without notice 

4. Automatic opening of the iron gates (Acts 12:10)

There is a power that causes chains to fall and iron gates to open. 

There's a power that can confound enemies and make them helpless. Peter walked out of prison and none of the soldiers could stop him. This is power!

That power was released through the prayer of the church.

So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

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. (Acts 12:5, 12 ESV)

 

The Gathering together of many praying  people releases much power!

It was power that brought Peter out of prison. 

It was power that turned the  guards to dummies. 

It was power that suspended the senses of the guards. They looked at Peter dressing up, putting on his sandals, taking all his belongings and they couldn't stop him

It was power that made his chains to fall from his hands

It was power that opened the iron gates leading to the city

Where is this power coming from?

Where is the factory room of this power?

 

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16 ESV)

 

Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. (James 5:16 AMP)

 

The prayers of some people are so weak and powerless. Their prayers never make any power available because there are people they need to ask forgiveness from.

If prayer is the key to power, then you need to check your prayer and your prayer life. 

You need to be sure that you're praying correctly. 

Many times it is not the prayer that's impotent. It is the man praying the prayers that has no connectivity with God. 

If the man or the woman praying the prayers is faulty, the prayers will be faulty. 

It is the prayer of the righteous man or the righteous woman that makes great power available.

Yes, there is still power that can open prison gates.

Peter was in a hopeless situation. A death sentence had been passed on him. He was already in the lions' mouth. He could do nothing. No appeal would work. 

But God is showing us that even in the most hopeless situations, his power is unlimited.

 

BEHOLD, THE Lord's hand is not shortened at all, that it cannot save, nor His ear dull with deafness, that it cannot hear. (Isaiah 59:1 AMP)

 

The hand of God is not shortened. 

God's hand can enter anywhere, reach anywhere, remove anything and uproot anything. 

I've just shown you how an angel entered a prison without knocking and brought out a prisoner on death row. All the soldiers were looking but they couldn't move. 

The hand of God is not short!

Until God does something to the man, his prayers can prevail nothing. 

Many people are praying. But why is there little power? God promised in his word that 1 will chase a thousand and 2 will put ten thousand to flight. 

Why is it that now , 1000 of us cannot chase 10?

Why is there little power?

The reason is because many believers are not upholding and exercising their righteousness in Christ. 

When Christ went to the cross, he became the sacrifice for our sins and through his vicarious death, righteousness is made available to us.

Stop living in sin. 

Stop allowing sin to dominate you as a child of God. 

Open up to the fire of God to purge you.  

 

Malachi 3:1-5

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.

Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. (Malachi 3:4 ESV)

 

The offering of many people isn't acceptable to God. The church accepts it but God doesn't accept it. And unfortunately if God doesn't accept it, how can the blessing come? It is the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich. Pr. 10:22

 

DELIVERANCE FROM EVIL EXPECTATIONS 

 

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.” (Acts 12:11 ESV)

Declare: ALL THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE WICKED OVER ME HAVE FAILED IN JESUS NAME. 

 

Why God delivers from Prison

God sent an angel to deliver Peter from prison because Peter had a work to do for the Lord.

Iron gates open only for those who want the king of glory to come in to their lives. Ps. 24:7,9

 

Are you ready for Jesus Christ to reign in your life? Are you ready for him to be your king, and to do his will? 

Then the iron gates must and will lift their heads for you, in Jesus name!

 

Psalms 142:7 (KJV)

Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.