A Praying Community

Acts 12:1–12

“It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 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. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 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. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. 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 and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.” When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.”

The Christian community is a praying community. Amidst the persecution they faced and scythe of death ever hanging above them they were unfazed. I can only imagine that the killing of the Apostle James the brother of John had been similar to St. Stephen’s, faithful towards the end, had it not been so, he would’ve still been alive. He was part of the LORD’s inner circle in the ministry, he saw His glory in His transfiguration, a well-attested event, (Matt 17:1–8, Mark 9:2–8, Luke 9:28–36 II Pet 1:16–18). These threats are overcome by prayers the Apostle Peter upon being freed by an angel of God (v. 11), returned to find a community of faith in prayer; the faith in the man who calmed the squall on the Sea of Galilee that allayed their fears is carrying them through at this point, death isn’t to be afraid of, because they knew the One who already has conquered it, The Author of Life, Who is this man?" they asked each other. "Even the wind and waves obey Him (Mark 4:41).” The LORD indeed spoke of the cost of discipleship, “whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:27),” and the Early Church and its leaders did so, because they looked forward to their heavenly home, and as they were martyred, they saw heaven open to receive them, "look," St. Stephen said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:56).” And for those who were kept alive, they pressed on, because they saw their “light and momentary troubles achieving an eternal glory that far outweighs them all (II Cor 4:17).”

For us, in the meantime, the Apostle James, the brother of the LORD reminds us to keep in prayer as we journey through life together, “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (Jam 5:16),” what more then, the prayer of a righteous community? It has the power to shake and shape the world around it (Acts 4:31).