Majority of believers prays, but lack expectation of their prayers being answered by God. In this bible passage, we have strong, fervent believers who are witnesses to the day of Pentecost with the Holy Ghost descending upon them. These are believers who witnessed mighty miracles, signs and wonders wrought among them such as healing a lame man siting by the temple called beautiful gate as well as other unique miracles Peter performed among them, only not to have faith in what they believe again.
In this bible passage, there are three things I would like to draw our attention to. The first one is Herod, the killer of good things, the second one is Peter, the good things to be exterminated and the third one is the church (fellow believers) that stood to challenge that killer of good things. In life, there are various things that represent Herod in our lives that are contending with our God given destinies and wanting to exterminate them. At the same time, the Almighty God has placed various intercessors around our life to ensure that the God given destines are not exterminated.
Peter had already been told by Christ in Luke 22:31, that the devil wants to sift him as wheat but he had prayed for him. We can see Christ upheld Peter in prayer to ensure that he arrived at his destiny.
Let's continue to examine the Scripture further, here we can see that Peter, the good things to be exterminated was just relaxing and sleeping deeply between two soldiers bounds with chains according to Acts 12:6. The question we need to ask ourselves is "why would Peter be sleeping when he knew that Herod is about to kill him?" The answer to the question lies on Peter's believe in what Christ already told him in John 21:18-19 "that he (Peter) will be old "and "also the nature of his death". Peter has confidence on Christ's Word spoken to him. And since most of the things Christ told them when He (Christ) was alive has started coming into fulfillment (such as the receiving of the Holy Spirit), Peter had no reason to fear his current situation that he found himself.
In our Sermon for today, we shall be examining the church lack of expectations out of the three things made mention of earlier in the sermon. Who is the church? The bible in Acts 2:41-47 says that after Peter had preached the gospel of the Kingdom on Pentecost day, that three thousand souls were added to them. Also, the bible said, they continue together in breaking bread, prayers, sharing things in common and praising God and in Acts 2:47, the bible said "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved". The church are every believers that believes in Christ.
Let us not forget that the title of the sermon is “Believers Praying, But Lack Expectation". The bible in Acts 12:5 said that prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. By the time God is now ready to answer the church prayers, He dispatched an angel into the prison to get Peter released. This should make us to believe that God will do anything possible in ensuring that our request is met.
And I pray for you that is reading this sermon that the Almighty God will answer your request speedily in Jesus Name. That prayer request that seems that it has been a long time you have been praying for God intervention, I pray that this season, The Lord will intervene in your situations in Jesus Name. Amen! When eventually Peter in Acts 12:13-16 was released from the prison and went to the place where the church has gathered praying for his release, the believers praying did not believe what they are praying for had been answered, so instead, they told the damsel named "Rhoda" that she is mad and that she must have seen Peter's angel in Acts 12:15.
What can we learn from the Sermon?
1. Is that whenever we pray, we should be expectant of our prayer. Hebrews 11:6 says we can not please God and that God reward those who diligently seek him. We should be consistent in our prayer when seeking from God.
2. We must not let our faith in asking waver. In James 1:6-8 says that a waver mind is like the sea driven with wind and tossed. Such person will be asking the question, "will it happen or will it not happen?" And the bible said that a waver mind can not receive anything from God.
3. When we pray, we should not confine God into a specific way of answering the prayers. In Acts 12:3, the bible says that Herod saw that it pleased the Jews to have him killed James and proceeded further to kill Peter too. The church may have been praying that the Jews should not accept the idea of killing Peter such that it will make Herod not to kill him when he (Peter) is brought forward before the people after Easter in Acts 12:4.
In Conclusion, as a Christian and believer in Christ, let us have great expectations of our prayers and let's leave the rest to God to handle in a way He (God) feel like in answering our prayers.
God bless you.
Let us pray!
I pray for anyone one reading this sermon that all the prayers of longest years that has yet to be answered by God will suddenly be answered in Jesus Name. The God that sent an angel to assist Peter to get out of the prison will sent you a helper for that your prayers in Jesus Name.
