Constant Prayer Was Offered For Him

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Monday February 20, 2017

Topic: Constant Prayer Was Offered For Him

Text: Acts 12:1 – 5                          

Prayer is the life of Christianity and an effectual weapon for believers to face all manner of life’s challenges. Beloved brothers and sisters, if prayer had given you victory before, then engage in constant prayer for a constant victory. That is the way to live a victorious Christian life. We should note that God will not do certain things until we pray; individually or collectively.

Peter, James and John belong to the inner caucus of Jesus’ ministry. One would have taught that Jesus will stop King Herod from killing James (Acts 12:1-2). Unfortunately, constant prayer was not made for him; perhaps it would have been different. When Herod kept Peter in prison to be killed at a later date, the church woke up and offered constant prayer to God for him (Acts 12:5) and he was released (Acts 12:7). If we engage in constant prayer, there will be intervention in our situation because effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16b).

The early Churches often engaged in prolonged corporate prayer (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 4:24 – 31; 12:5). God intends that we should always gather together for meaningful, enduring prayers. Jesus said, “My house will be called the house of prayer” (Matthew 21:13).

As Christians we should not neglect times for prayer especially corporate prayer. It’s high time we enter constant prayer and start heaping up prayer deposits for the years and generation ahead, and for the good of our nation. The prayer of Jesus in Luke 22:31 contributed in Peter’s freedom in the future. Constant prayer can change evil decree (Dan. 6:8-14). We cannot discover the extent and potency of the power we possess until we start praying. Remember what Jesus said in Luke 18:1 that we should always persist in prayer. Do it often and again and you will never regret it.  

Food for Thought: Prevailing prayer is not eloquence but earnestness.

Memory verse: Acts 12 verse 5 - So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

Prayer: Teach us to pray, O Lord, that we should no longer complain.