For several days now I can't seem to get Rhoda off my mind again. I know I've written a blog on this before so why can't I seem to meditate on something or someone else? The Bible has 66 books in it so why am I being reminded of one chapter in the book of Acts and the story of Peter being released from prison again? Why is the Lord reminding me right now of the miracle that happened when a praying church took God seriously and began fervently praying for one of their own? I believe God gave me the answer when He sat me down this morning to write this blog. It is because it's time. We (the church, the ecclesia, the remnant) are about to see and experience some things we've been praying and believing for and yet many of us may be praying and not truly believing at all. I believe He wants Rhoda to wake us up right now. Shake yourself out of your slumber because if you have been praying you are about to see some things that you prayed for come to pass right before your eyes, but your mind will war with you over what is taking place or what you are seeing, and you could possibly miss opening the door for your miracle.
Let's look at Acts 12 verses 5 through approximately 17 AMPC...
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but fervent prayer for him was persistently made to God by the church (assembly).
6 The very night before Herod was about to bring him forth, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.
I love this in verse 6. Peter wasn't worried about anything. In fact, he was sleeping in chains. It's interesting what he learned and how he learned to trust God. Remember that we have a very different story in Mark 4 where the disciples are in a great storm and it is Jesus who is sleeping and they are literally so terrified that they wake Jesus up and say, 'Master, do You not care that we are perishing?' Peter has learned and obviously he has grown in his faith, and he put himself in the hands not only of God but also of the praying church and simply went to sleep. He knew he wasn't abandoned. He knew people were praying for him and he also knew that God would answer those prayers he just didn't know exactly how, but God was about to wake him up and show him. Let's continue...
7 And suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared [standing beside him], and a light shone in the place where he was. And the angel gently smote Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, Get up quickly! And the chains fell off his hands.
8 And the angel said to him, tighten your belt and bind on your sandals. And he did so. And he said to him, wrap your outer garment around you and follow me.
9 And [Peter] went out [along] following him, and he was not conscious that what was apparently being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
It was too good to be true. He literally thought he was having a dream at first as he had to shake himself awake. We often know that God will deliver us, and that God has a plan, but rarely do we ever know exactly what He will do to bring deliverance to us in any given situation. It could be a health issue or a relationship issue or what about financial difficulties. Not everyone is facing prison but there are definitely times in all of our lives when we feel like something is too big for us and we need the assembly (the church) to pray. Let's continue in Acts 12.
11 Then Peter came to himself and said, Now I really know and am sure that the Lord has sent His angel and delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting [to do to me].
You have to understand here that before all of this in Acts 2 Herod has just killed James the brother of John, so they just saw one of their own killed. That in itself was pretty frightening and might rattle your faith a bit. Their beloved Peter was literally on the chopping block so to speak. I won't go into it now, but I also want you to notice who really wanted Peter dead. Herod was just the one that could bring it to pass but no, it was the Jewish people who wanted Peter dead. God's chosen people. The Jews who supposedly loved and served God went after the disciples just as they did Jesus wanting them dead. Let's continue...
12 When he, at a glance, became aware of this comprehending all the elements of the case], he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where a large number were assembled together and were praying.
Look at what this says to us. A large number were assembled together and were praying. So, this has always been my question. Why did they get together to pray? You have to wonder right? Were they at home getting ready for prayer and saying things like, 'well, we better go tonight, or people will wonder why we didn't show up' or even 'this is fruitless but let's go anyway because we don't want anyone talking badly about us or thinking we don't trust God?' I don't know what they were saying or thinking but Acts 12:12 literally says 'a large number were assembled together and were praying, yet let's see what happened and continue reading...
13 And when he knocked at the gate of the porch, a maid named Rhoda came to answer.
14 And recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she failed to open the gate, but ran in and told the people that Peter was standing before the porch gate.
I just love Rhoda. We never hear about her except in this story, but this is a woman of great joy. She is obviously over the top excited so much so that she actually runs off to tell the others that they've been praying into the night and their prayers have been answered. With just a knock on the door and hearing a voice on the other side she was rejoicing. Praise the Lord! God is good all the time! God has made a way where there seemed to be no way! Just imagine how her faith changed that day. Their prayers have not only been heard, but their prayers have been miraculously answered. Peter is free. Peter won't be killed by Herod or the Jews. Peter has been delivered and actually only Peter really knows the true story and how he was released because at this point he has not yet shared what happened with Rhoda because she hadn't even opened the door. She just ran rejoicing and telling the others who were still inside praying and let's look at what they said to her.
15 They said to her, you are crazy! But she persistently and strongly and confidently affirmed that it was the truth. They said, it is his angel!
Okay so even if it was his angel wouldn't you go answer the door? Those assembled to pray for the deliverance of Peter told her she was crazy. Therefore, they were praying but not really believing that God was going to do anything. In fact, the very statement in verse 15 'they said, it is his angel' makes me wonder if they thought he was already dead as if it was a ghost or something. Why were they assembled? It was quickened to me when I asked that question that Jesus addressed this in Matthew. Let's look at Matthew 6:5 and then we will continue with Acts 12.
Matthew 6:5 AMPC
Also, when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already.
This beloved is my warning to the church today. Let us not be like those in Matthew who love to be seen praying. Those who willingly assemble to pray yet actually don't really believe that God can or will do what we are asking Him to do. We CANNOT have people in the room (so to speak) who don't believe. Jesus Himself put people out of the room if He was going to heal or raise someone from the dead and the people in the room were not going to add their belief to His. In this day and this time, we need people of true faith. People who trust God and when they pray, they truly believe God is going to do some miraculous things. By now we've seen enough prophecy fulfilled to be strengthened in our faith knowing that God is fully able to perform everything that He has spoken not only in His word but also through His prophets. I don't want to be that person who Jesus says, 'you received your reward already.' What did He mean by that? It's obvious He meant they were praised by the people around them who patted them on the back for sacrificing their time to come and join the prayer meeting. Where were their hearts? Were they really there to believe or just to be seen by others? Being praised by man is obviously nice. I love to get comments from subscribers about how the newsletters are changing or impacting their lives, but we all have to be careful to be sure that we are looking to God for our reward in serving and definitely not to man. I hope that you recognize this in your own life as well. Let's continue in Acts 12...
16 But meanwhile Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the gate and saw him, they were amazed.
Interesting, isn't it? How the believers assemble themselves together to pray yet don't really believe. Do you see this in your own church, friends or family? They come across as people of true faith. People who pray, intercede and believe that God can and will do miracles yet when they come to pass, they begin to question EVERYTHING or discount what you are saying. In fact, they think you are downright crazy if you heard something they didn't hear or saw something they didn't see. They have been praying with you long into the night (Peter and the Guards he was chained to were sleeping) but without expectation.
- EXPECT THAT BIG things dear ones.
- EXPECT THAT HUGE things are coming.
- EXPECT THAT ENOURMOUS things are just ahead.
In one way it is good to be like Rhoda in Acts 12. Assemble with others to pray but you must also believe and EXPECT God to do miraculous things. However, in another way don't make the mistake that Rhoda made and leave your miracle outside the door or the gate because this is our time and God is opening up the heavens for His children right now. And I will leave you with this in 2 Corinthians...
2 Corinthians 1:10 APMC
[For it is He] Who rescued and saved us from such a perilous death, and He will still rescue and save us; in and on Him we have set our hope (our joyful and confident expectation) that He will again deliver us [from danger and destruction and draw us to Himself]
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