On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands. Acts 12:6-7.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
When you read the Acts of the Apostles do not be regarding them as things that happened only in the early church community but as things that believers should be experiencing today as well. I do not change and neither does Jesus. We are One and we are the same yesterday, today and forever. And the same is true of our Holy Spirit. I AM, I was, and I will be the Almighty. Revelation 4:8; Exodus 3:15. The angelic host is still available to you as well as the lead and direction of My Spirit. And prayers of agreement are still just as effective as they were then. In fact, today there are far more believers so you should be using My Word, which is the Sword of the Spirit, and prayer even more effectively.
There is a missing ingredient, however, in the church today you are divided. I describe the early community of believers as of one mind, “Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.” Acts 2:46-47. And again, “And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.” Acts 4:32. And when they prayed, “they lifted their voices to God with one accord,” and the place shook where they were praying and all were filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 4:24, 31. Bitter roots of division stop effective prayer. If you are not agreement, how can you agree in faith in prayer? I mean even within one church family of the same doctrine there are dissensions and jealousy.
Today’s Life Lesson of how to have days of Heaven on earth is about a miracle that involves the prayer of agreement, the intervention of angels, the power of trust in Me, and deliverance by Me in the face of what in the natural realm are impossible odds. And as I said, I do not change. I am still your deliverer, your refuge, and your fortress just as set forth in Psalm 91.
After Peter had been at the home of Cornelius and opened up the church to the gentiles, Satan was more determined than ever to stop the church from taking territory and souls away from him. He incited Herod to put My apostle James to death, and then the devil again went after Peter. He no longer could tempt Peter into denying Jesus, those days were over, he was a new creation in Christ, filled with My Spirit and ready to die for Me if I would let him. He had a desire to make true what he had told Jesus when he swore he would die for Him rather than deny Him. When he had successfully completed all I gave him to do, I gave him that desire of his heart. And he was rewarded richly.
So since Satan could no longer shift Peter because now he was all wheat, he went after Herod to incite him to put Peter to death as he had with John the Baptist. And Satan was not disappointed, So at that time, Herod laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also during the days of Unleavened Bread. Acts 12:1-3. Satan thought things were all going his way, but he had not realized the strength of the early church.
When Herod had seized Peter, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. So Peter was kept in the prison, BUT PRAYER FOR HIM WAS BEING MADE FERVENTLY BY THE CHURCH TO ME. Acts 12:4-5.
Some of you have forgotten what Jesus had instructed you on prayer. “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven for where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:18-20. This is a Kingdom prayer. You are binding and loosing things on earth according to what has been bound or loosed in Heaven, you are praying for what you are asking in total agreement with one another in faith (if one is doubting and the other is believing this does not make agreement), and you are gathered together in the Name of Jesus so that He is actually participating in the prayer with you (in your midst, i.e., the center of your attention and action) as your great High Priest and intercessor. He is the High Priest of your confession (homologia), which means you are speaking in total agreement with Him, which means with My Word. And He presents it to Me so I can perform it, that is, it does not return to Me void but achieves the purpose for which I sent it. I watch over My Word to perform it. And you remember His promise of partnership, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:12-18.
The true prayer of agreement only takes two (there can be more) on earth joined in perfect agreement with My Son and done in His Name. You see this when I give you a glimpse into how the community of believers prayed for Peter and John when they were threatened by the Jewish leaders with punishment for preaching the Name of Jesus: “When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with ONE ACCORD and said, “O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples devise futile things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.’ For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy Son Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the NAME of Your holy Son JESUS.” And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:23-31.
You will note they prayed in perfect agreement (one accord) they quoted Scripture to back up their request (what was bound and loosed in Heaven) they prayed according to My Will (all men be saved and come to know the truth and My command to witness to My Son), and they prayed in the Name of Jesus. And I responded immediately. The place shook. Revelation 8:3-5.
After the church had prayed the prayer of agreement for Peter’s release and deliverance, on the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. Acts 12:6-7. This would appear to be an impossible situation for the deliverance of Peter. But with Me nothing is impossible, and all things are possible for those who believe that.
And behold, an angel of Mine suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” Acts 12:7-8. Peter was not stressed out or worried though he was scheduled to die the next day. He was sleeping so soundly that My angel had to strike him on the side to wake him up and give him step by step instructions to get him dressed and out of the prison. Peter was already at the point Paul came to later, “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. So what shall I choose? I do not know.” Colossians 1:20-22.
And Peter followed the angel and went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. Acts 12:9-10. Automatic doors and two sets of sleeping guards. Nothing is too hard for Me once I am authorized by your prayers to act. My holy angels are filled with My light, My love, and My power to protect and deliver those who are Mine. “Bless the LORD, you His angels, mighty in strength, who perform His Word, obeying the voice of His Word! Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will.” Psalm 103:20-21.
When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. They devoted themselves to constant prayer, like I told you, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give constant thanks.” They took My Word seriously and when they gathered it was to participate in all three of those matters. “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer,” “praising God and having favor with all the people.” Acts 2:42, 47. And they were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Acts 13:52.
When Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel.” My people were familiar with angelic intervention at that time. But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed. But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and the brethren.” Then he left and went to another place. Acts 12:11-17.
Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter. When Herod had searched for him and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered that they be led away to execution. Thus, Herod heaped up another sin and taking of innocent life. The time had come when the cup was full and there was no more room for repentance. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and was spending time there. Acts 12:18-19. And what happened after that? Read on:
“Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country. On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. The people kept crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died. But the Word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.” Acts 12:20-24.
Herod went beyond saving and was causing too much harm. My church had prayed to be able to preach and teach. My Word continued to grow and be multiplied. Herod could not stop it without fighting against Me. And Herod had fought against Me continually. I had sent him the best to turn him to repentance. I sent him John the Baptist and he would listen to him and was attracted by and convicted by his words but he ruthlessly had him beheaded. I sent him Jesus, who stood right before his eyes, and all he did was mock Him and send Him to be crucified. I sent him James and I sent him Peter, and other members of My church and he tried to kill them all, even killing the guards who were supposed to prevent Peter’s escape. And then he tried to take the stance of a god. My angel had no more tolerance for him and it was the best time for him to go to avoid the lowest place in hell. So even then his death was merciful. But he wasted a life that could have been filled with the teachings of the greatest prophet of the old covenant, John, and the greatest and highest Teacher of all time and eternity, Jesus, and a place of leadership in My church. Watch your thoughts and who you are listening to. Walk with the wise and not fools no matter how powerful they are in the world. Never live just for the lusts of your flesh and for worldly glory for it is not real glory at all. It is the life of empty show. “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:15-17. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Galatians 6:8.
I love you. Walk with the wise, be in agreement with people of faith, and always gather in the Name of Jesus. With Him in your midst, you will never go wrong. Be careful how you walk. And remember, I am the LORD our deliverer. Do not let anyone intimidate you from the good news of the gospel of your salvation and the gospel of the Kingdom.