Prayer

Acts 12:5
    “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.” NKJV

    When a leader of the church was arrested, probably going to be put to death after Passover, the church responded by praying constantly for him.
    I remember a story I once heard. A little girl was playing by a window and accidentally fell out of it, hitting the hard ground below. Her parents ran to her, afraid for her life, and knelt down to pray--then they called the ambulance. I don’t remember what happened to the girl or even where I heard the story from, but I remember thinking, “Wow, they really understand it.”
    The God of the universe is so much more powerful than modern medicine and even the best doctors.
    And yet, how often do we look to science first, and then to God?
    I wonder if the church then fully grasped the power of prayer. They knew to do it, and did pray earnestly. But then, were they surprised when they learned that their prayers had been listened too and answered to the fullest extent? (Look at verses 15 and 16)
    To be honest, I probably wouldn’t have believed it myself.
    “Peter, you’re back! How did you escape?”
    “Well, Kayla, an angel smacked me awake, my chains fell off, and all the doors unlocked and opened themselves as I followed the angel out.”
    “Oh… wow… but really though, what happened? Why’d they let you go?”
    At this point in the story I probably would have been smitten for my horrid lack of faith.
    But seriously though. How often do I pray and yet never expect it to be answered because I have deemed it impossible?
    I need to realize God’s strength and sovereignty and go to Him first with prayer, knowing that for Him nothing is impossible.