"Peter therefore was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing of the church for him." (Acts 12:5.)

Find out about prayer. In 1952, a Princeton doctoral student asked Albert Einstein a penetrating question. He asked, What is left in the world for original dissertation research? Einstein’s response was insightful and, I think, should cause us to pause. He said, Find out about prayer! Somebody must find out about prayer. (As told by J. Harold Ellens, "Communication Theory and Petitionary Prayer," Journal of Pastoral Theology 5 (1977), 48.

The prayer of Jabez was a prayer by a man in great distress, being named sorrowful by his mother. Yet, God heard his cry and enriched his life. The prayer of Manasseh was a prayer by a king who had disobeyed God in his long career of 55 years over Judah. He was led into captivity by the Assyrians to Babylon. While in prison, he prayed to God for forgiveness. He was released and returned to serve as king again.

The prayer of this small band of believers in Jerusalem is likewise remarkable. Tension between the Jewish leaders and the followers of Jesus Christ escalated again. Peter was a public figure among the followers of Jesus and thus known by the Jews. He was arrested and put into prison. The group of Christians who met at John Mark’s mother’s home prayed without ceasing for him. God answered by sending an angel who set him free from the chains which held him. The angel led him out past the guards and into the streets of Jerusalem. Peter went to the house of Mary where many were gathered praying for him.

Rhoda heard his knock at the door and went to let him in the house. She recognized Peter’s voice and for joy ran to tell the others leaving Peter standing outside. The group of Christians responded to her in unbelief even though they had been praying for his release. They told her that she was mad or that she had seen Peter’s angel. Finally, they let Peter in the house and they were astonished upon seeing him.

Like Jabez and Manasseh, Peter was in great distress. James had just been killed with the sword. (Acts 12:2.) Because this deed pleased the Jews, Herod arrested Peter as well. The Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread caused Herod to wait before executing Peter. After the Passover, Herod intended to bring Peter before the Jews and ask them what they wanted to do with him. His life was in great danger. The church prayed fervently for Peter; God heard and answered their prayer.

There are several interesting aspects to this account of God answering prayer. I think that we should spend more time considering these prayers of the Bible because most Christians have many questions about prayer. . . about its effectiveness. . . about its purpose. . . whether God answers our prayers today as He did those recorded in the Bible. It is alright to ask questions about prayer, or about anything pertaining to the Christian faith. These examples in the Bible (Jabez, Manasseh, Christians in Mary’s house, the thief on the cross, etc.) seem so dramatic and ours so uneventful. What are the answers to these troubling questions about prayer?

It may be cute to hear little children pray. They are great imitators of adults, especially their parents. We laugh at some of the things that they ask God. I have some such things that children have supposedly said in prayer.

"Dear God, In Sunday School they told us what you do. Who does it when you are on vacation?" (Jane) "Is Reverend Coe a friend of yours, or do you just know him through business?" (Donny) "I wish you would not make it so easy for people to come apart. I had three stitches and a shot." (Janet) "If we come back as something, please don’t let me be Jennifer Horton because I hate her." (Denise) "We read that Thomas Edison made light. But in Sunday School, they said that you did it. So I bet he stoled your idea." (Donna) (Children’s Letters To God, Workman, first edition published in 1966 sold 1.2 million worldwide, extremely popular.)

But prayer is not simple. It is the most courageous act of faith ever committed. Prayer is not easy. It requires more maturity, more purpose, more effort and more faith than most of the other things that Christians do. Everything rational, human, and earthly cries out against it. Yet many keep on praying even though they do not have all the answers to those who object.

It is a wonderful story about the Christians praying for Peter’s release from prison and God answering their pleas. Yet, in this very story comes one of those difficulties concerning prayer. It is the death of James. Why was Peter spared and James killed? Was no one praying for James? Why did God allow such an evil man as Herod to kill one of the apostles? This is what I mean by prayer being a courageous act of faith. It is done without full understanding of what, why, and when. Paul wrote, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." (Romans 8:26.) We all feel the truth of this statement that we do not know what we should pray for as we ought. Neither do we understand why things happen to us in life as they do. Job did not understand. Elijah sometimes was excited about how God dealt with him. At other times, he was very depressed. Jezebel scared him to death with her threat against his life. He sat under the Juniper tree and asked God to take his life. (1 Kings 19:1-18.) God assured him that he had seven thousand in Israel that had not bowed the knee to Baal.

Sometimes we feel like Elisha standing before the Jordan asking, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" (2 Kings 2:14.) We want some evidence of his presence and some demonstration of his power.

I do not propose to answer why God allowed James to be killed with the sword, but sent an angel to free Peter. I do not know why we have some answers to prayers, and seemingly no answers to others. All that I can tell you is that we are dealing with God. (Rom. 11:33.) Perhaps, it is better to say that God is dealing with us. We do not understand all the answers to difficulties surrounding prayer. But I like the statement made by brother Basil Overton who said, Let us not miss out on the blessings of prayer just because we do not understand everything about prayer.

Those praying for Peter’s release did not believe that it was Peter standing at the door. I am glad that the Bible reveals this piece of information about the early Christians. Sometimes we get the feeling that they were always strong, certain of what they were doing, and always faithful to God. But they were as we are today. They had the same kind of doubts and human failings.

Elijah is a good example of one who wavered even after he had experienced the hand of God near him so often. We want a dramatic display of God’s answer. God told Elijah to go stand on a mountain. The Lord God passed by him and great strong wind rent the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, the Lord sent an earthquake and a fire. We would have been impressed. This is what we want from God. Show this evil world, Lord! But he was not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. Then Elijah heard a small still voice. God often comes in a small still voice, not in the thunderous ways that we desire. Elijah had experienced so many victories; he had difficulty understanding why God allowed wicked Jezebel to have her way promoting Baal worship. She was the "chief priestess" promoting her religion from the powerful position of the kings’ wife.

We should learn the lesson that praying belongs to us; answering belongs to God. The "how, when and where" of prayer all belong to Him. We should always pray and faint not. Christians are weak. God is powerful.

Being weak, we should remember that God is in control of His world. He will bless his people and bring vengeance upon the wicked. This text glistens with this truth.

Wicked Herod was the Roman governor in Judea. He had the apostle James killed to please the Jews and sought Peter’s life as well. Later in the text, we find out what happened to Herod. After making a speech, the people said that he was a god. Childishly, he basted in the warmth of their approval. Because he accepted their worship as if he were a god, God smote him with worms. Vengeance belongs to God. Those who laid hands upon God’s anointed (prophets) in the Old Testament paid the price. God is a God of justice. He will repay.

God knew what he was doing with James. Death seems so tragic and final to us. We just cannot imagine why God would allow an evil ruler to take the life of one of his apostles. Yet, history shows that the martyrdom of Christians spread the kingdom rapidly. "The blood of the saints is the seed of the kingdom," historians wrote. We will never know how many pagan hearts were touched by watching the death of Stephen, James, the aged Polycarp, the exiled John and thousands of others. It is believed that the apostle John was the only one who died a natural death. All the others suffered violent deaths at the hands of the enemies of Christianity. One of my teachers, brother Everett Huffard of Harding Graduate School, taught a class entitled, The Gospel and Islam. He was telling the class about the difficulty of converting Muslims in their home country. Most of the conversions occur after they leave the culture and pressures of home. He then said, There may need to be some martyrs, Christians killed while working among the Muslims, to convert them. What a shocking statement! Yet, often just preaching alone does not convince gainsayers. Remember John’s words, "Be thou faithful unto death (in the face of death) and I will give thee a crown of life." (Rev. 2:10.)

Often, we fail to remember that good things can come from sickness, poverty and death. Some of the choicest blessings of God come in the midst of adversity. We should not pray that life will be easy, without sacrifice, without pain, without challenges. James wrote that "the trying of our faith works patience." (1:3.)