What Are You Reading – Earnestly Pray

well hey ladies and happy monday morning um as you know i've been going through the book of acts and so that's where we're going to land today we're going to be in chapter 12 of the book of acts and i want you to focus on something i want you to really picture in your mind as i'm reading the scripture of what all is going on here and then i've got a few um takeaways from the scripture of what you can apply this week to focus on God's Word more. So I'm going to read Acts 12 verses 1 through 8. So just take time to kind of allow yourself as if you were reading, it's obviously not fantasy, but as if you were reading a fantasy book or, you know, seeing it play out as a movie in your head. Let it roll through because these are events that have truly happened. So Acts 12 verses 1 through 8, it says, It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this was met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the festival of unleavened bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for a public trial after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers bound with two chains and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up quick. Get up, he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrist. Then the angel said to him, put on your clothes and sandals. And Peter did so. Wrap your cloak around you and follow me, the angel told him. And so what we have here is a miracle, obviously. But what I want us to focus on is the fear that is happening at this point in time, because I have a particular purpose of pointing out this passage. Think about this. James, the brother of John, so this is one of the disciples, has been put to death by the sword by King Herod. And Herod saw that it was met with public approval. So this is all politically driven. Does that sound familiar on certain things? And this is happening during the festival of unleavened bread. So this is happening when the, when all of Israel's gathering together, those who are able to come to the festival, similar to when Jesus was, Jesus is taken as well. And after arresting him, he put him in prison. This is Peter putting him in prison, handing him over to the guarded by four squad so he's guarded by 16 different 16 soldiers I mean just imagine if this is the church okay think about the leaders that are in your church okay one of those leaders was put to death by the sword and then probably I would say Peter because Jesus says um you know upon you you know you're the rock of the church like upon you I'll build my church right so Peter the greatest leader that the church has right now I mean he you know obviously follows Jesus has been put in prison talk about fear and panic right just the overwhelming what is going on okay so that's the situation that we're entering into here but what does it say that the church was doing at this time so Peter this is verse 5 so Peter was kept in prison but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. So this is during Passover, during all of these festivals, and the church is praying for Peter earnestly. And that is just something that has captivated my mind because I am guilty of this. And this is me telling all of you, I am guilty of looking at politics, of looking at all the things going on in the world. I start to worry, get stressed about it, and start to think, and really why am i even that stressed about it it's okay to be informed but turn the news off and pray because that has more power than talking with your friends about politics worrying about it pray just pray and so that is something that i want to encourage you to do this week is what would it look like if the church big c church earnestly prayed and what would it look like if you're a member of warren and if you're not your church earnestly prayed and what would it look like okay we have a bible study that's coming up called the armor of god and in order priscilla shire does this as you can tell i've already started it but in order to activate the the armor of God, we have to be active and fervent in prayer. So what would it look like? Because right now we've got 58 ladies who are signed up for this Bible study. 58. What would it look like if these 58 ladies, and perhaps you if you haven't signed up and you're going to join us, what would it look like if we earnestly sought the Lord and prayed? What kind of ripple effect will that have in our families in our church family in our community and in the world rather than being stressed and fearful of what's going on outside what would it look like if we earnestly fervently pursued prayer and prayed in victory and power what would that look like so that's my encouragement today for you is that you would seek God earnestly in prayer and spend just as much time talking to God as you would about politics or stressing about things or even if it's not politics it could be anxiousness about just life and situations. What would it look like if rather than stressing about those you turn to pray in victory? What do you think that might look like. And so that's a challenge for me and for you to do this week. Thank you so much. And I hope that you guys, you know what, actually I am going to pray. I'm going to pray right now. Why don't we get started? So Heavenly Father, Lord, I just pray that our focus would be on you this week. That from this moment forward, Lord, as soon as this screen turns off, and even if this is during quiet time, just for a moment that we would set down everything and just pray. Lord, welcome you into our situation welcome you into the lives that we are leading and lord that they may glorify you above anything else and lord that we would be women who fervently and earnestly pray god i ask that and i pray for your holy spirit to ignite a fire within us lord it's in your son jesus christ name we pray amen all right well you ladies have a wonderful rest of your monday and remember to pray this week you

Originally published at warren.church.