ACTS 12:5

So far, Herod’s plan seemed to be working! Putting Peter in prison, King Herod had him heavily guarded, intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people for execution. Now with James dead and Peter in prison, you could just imagine the fear, the unrest, and uneasiness that must have gripped the church. Sometimes it really looks like if the devil has the upper hand and is winning. The Scriptures declare, “Peter therefore, was kept in prison …” (Acts 12:5). It really must have seemed dark and hopeless – Peter in Prison!

This was now his third imprisonment. Who would have thought that the Christian pathway would have been so intense and sometimes so dramatic and oftentimes tragic. It is clear that the enemy powers of darkness meant to wipe out this church; however, in this same passage where the picture seemed so stark and gloomy, hope is resurrected, and a militant church refuses to remain on the defense. Instead, it goes on the offense. Backed into a corner, this Jesus-filled church stopped waiting to be attacked again. They now counterattacked. They plain refused to take another hit without immediately striking back.

Luke instantly informs his readers, “But prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him” (Acts 12:5). On the human level, their response seemed tepid and innocuous enough, but in the spirit realm they were now becoming more proactive than reactive. They decided to actively fight back. They were acting in anticipation of future problems rather than waiting to respond to the next attack. In a real sense, they now took the fight to the enemy. They refused to sit back and let Satan run roughshod over the leadership of the church and the entire church. It could no longer be business as usual.

Desperate times require desperate measures. As the devil amplified his attacks, so did the church amplify her response. When the devil ramps up his evil attacks against us, we can never sit back and act unfazed and indifferent. Here we fight fire with fire. We intensify. We go ballistic on him. We do not pray less! We pray more! We go into serious warfare. We do individual prayers, but we also take it to another level. We join forces with the brethren and people of like minds. We call for the prayer warriors. We call all-night prayer meetings! We pray constantly! We pray around the clock! We pray with the intense consciousness that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4).

Herod felt encouraged and cheered on by a blood-thirsty mob, but Peter was fortified by a prayer-fueled, Spirit-filled church. May this thought not elude us today – intense, fervent, earnest, unceasing, focused prayer always wins the day. Peter so felt the prayers that, instead of worrying, he fell asleep while chained to two guards. They prayed till God sent an angel and sprang Peter loose from the prison. They prayed Peter out! They went on the offensive! They refused to sit back! They went on the offense! So too must we!