Acts 12:7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.
Peter was arrested for preaching the Gospel. He was placed in a high security cell guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. The Lord had opened prison doors and supernaturally delivered the arrested disciples before (Acts 5:18-20), hence, Herod ordered Peter to be chained to the guards and placed in the high security cell. When the Angel appeared, light shone in the cell but none of the soldiers were awakened or alerted. Chains loosened from Peter’s hands, he got dressed between the sleeping soldiers and walked past all four squads, out of the “high alert security prison”. Divine deliverance will blank out the demonic interference around us. The sentries stood guard at the entrance, hence they were not asleep. They were awake yet, their physical eyes were blanked out to see Peter walking out!
When Heaven comes to our rescue, even a graven dungeon will be lit with divine light of deliverance. The secret of Peter’s release is fervent prayer. Acts 12:5 Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
Reverent, fervent prayer of the righteous will bring us out of deep pits, dangerous dungeons and dodgy prisons:
1. Blank-out: Peter walked out of two secured iron doors and the Angel of the Lord blanked out the eyes of the sixteen guards on duty. The doors automatically opened for Peter. He will blind and blank the eyes of the insidious boss at work, envious neighbours or indignant intruders. Fervent prayers will blank out and make standing squads sleep until we walk out of dungeons into victory. The demonic agents will insensitively watch God’s children walking out of dangerous dungeons causing confusion and calamity in hell!
2. Burst-out: Peter would have been brought out of the prison at around midnight but the soldiers who were knocked out into deep sleep for several hours realised that Peter was missing only in the morning. Acts 12:18 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. The squad went crazy but Herod went ballistic and executed all the 16 soldiers. Fervent prayers of sincere saints will put demons to sleep and cause commotion in hell!
3. Walkout: The walkout of prison doors into freedom was like a dream to Peter. There was no desperation, exasperation or trepidation as he walked out. Acts 12:11a Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches. There will be no anxiety in God’s rescue plan. No human authority has control over our growth, promotion or progress. If people try to put us in a box of restriction, bifurcation or discrimination, God will send His angel and help us to walkout of the human prisons, hierarchy chains and horrendous restrictions. Fervent prayers will break human and demonic barriers and destroy the plots of hell.
God will switch-off the brains of the demons and cause a blank-out in hell to deliver His children.
Acts 12:10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to realise that I am under your limitless power and protection, hence no human or hellish prison can restrict, constrict or limit my progress. Amen
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