Finding Hope Through Prayer in Dark Times

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- **Acts 12:1-11**: The story of Peter's imprisonment and miraculous escape.
- **John 16:33**: "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
- **Genesis 50:20**: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

#### Observation Questions
1. What was Peter's situation in Acts 12, and how did the early church respond to it? ([44:32])
2. How did Peter react to his imprisonment, and what does this reveal about his trust in God? ([49:34])
3. What specific actions did the angel take to free Peter from prison? ([46:42])
4. According to John 16:33, what does Jesus promise us about facing troubles in this world?

#### Interpretation Questions
1. What does Peter's ability to sleep in prison suggest about his understanding of God's sovereignty? ([50:17])
2. How does the early church's response to Peter's imprisonment illustrate the power and importance of prayer? ([56:08])
3. In what ways does Joseph's story in Genesis 50:20 help us understand God's purpose in our problems? ([55:24])
4. How can we recognize and celebrate God's faithfulness in our lives, even when His answers to our prayers are not miraculous? ([01:03:51])

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt overwhelmed by anxiety or problems. How did you respond, and how might you respond differently now by trusting in God's sovereignty? ([50:17])
2. How can you make prayer your first resort rather than your last in your daily life? What practical steps can you take to prioritize prayer? ([56:08])
3. Think of a current problem you are facing. How can you shift your perspective to see it as part of God's greater purpose for your life? ([55:24])
4. Have you experienced a time when God answered your prayers in an unexpected way? Share your story with the group and discuss how it strengthened your faith. ([01:03:51])
5. Identify one area in your life where you need to trust God more. What specific actions can you take this week to demonstrate that trust? ([51:15])
6. How can you be more vigilant in watching for answered prayers in your life? What are some ways you can celebrate and share these answers with others? ([01:02:19])
7. If you have not yet trusted in Jesus for spiritual salvation, what is holding you back? What steps can you take to explore this decision further? ([01:09:39])

Day 1: Trust in God's Sovereignty
In the midst of life's darkest moments, it can be challenging to find peace. However, the story of Peter's imprisonment in Acts chapter 12 shows us that even in dire situations, we can trust in God's sovereignty. Peter was able to sleep peacefully, despite the threat of death, because he trusted that God was in control. This profound trust in God's plan and His control over all circumstances is something we can emulate. When we place our trust in God's sovereignty, we can find rest and peace, knowing that He is bigger than our problems and has a plan for us. [51:15]

Isaiah 26:3-4 (ESV): "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock."

Reflection: Think about a current situation in your life that causes you anxiety. How can you actively trust in God's sovereignty over this situation today?


Day 2: Prayer as a First Resort
The early church's response to Peter's imprisonment was to pray earnestly. This teaches us the importance of making prayer our first resort rather than our last. Earnest prayer is characterized by eagerness, fervency, and constancy, reflecting a deep desire to connect with God and seek His intervention. When we face challenges, our immediate response should be to turn to God in prayer, trusting that He hears us and will act according to His will. Prayer is not just a ritual; it is a powerful tool that God uses to intervene in our lives. [56:08]

James 5:16 (ESV): "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

Reflection: When faced with a problem, do you turn to prayer first or as a last resort? How can you make prayer your immediate response in times of trouble?


Day 3: God's Purpose in Our Problems
Our problems are not random or purposeless. Just as Joseph saw God's hand in his life's setbacks, we can trust that God is working through our difficulties to accomplish His greater purpose. This perspective helps us endure trials with hope and faith, knowing that God is using our challenges to shape us and fulfill His plans. By trusting in God's purpose, we can find meaning in our struggles and remain steadfast in our faith, even when circumstances are tough. [55:24]

Genesis 50:20 (ESV): "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."

Reflection: Reflect on a recent challenge you faced. How can you see God's hand at work in that situation, and what greater purpose might He be accomplishing through it?


Day 4: Watch for Answered Prayers
We should be vigilant in watching for how God answers our prayers. While not all answers will be miraculous, God is always at work, aligning our lives with His will. This awareness helps us recognize and celebrate God's faithfulness in our lives. By being attentive to God's responses, we can grow in our faith and be encouraged by His ongoing work in our lives. It is important to remember that God's answers may come in unexpected ways, but they are always aligned with His greater purpose for us. [01:02:19]

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV): "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Reflection: Think of a prayer you have recently prayed. How can you be more vigilant in watching for God's answer, and how will you respond when you see His work?


Day 5: Invitation to Trust in Jesus
For those who have not yet trusted in Jesus, the greatest need is spiritual salvation. Just as Peter was freed from physical chains, Jesus offers to free us from the chains of sin. Trusting in Jesus brings spiritual freedom and eternal life. This invitation is open to all, and accepting it means experiencing the profound peace and joy that comes from a relationship with Christ. If you have not yet placed your trust in Jesus, consider doing so today and experience the freedom He offers. [01:09:39]

John 8:36 (ESV): "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

Reflection: Have you fully trusted in Jesus for your spiritual salvation? If not, what is holding you back, and how can you take a step towards trusting Him today?

All right. Good morning.

If you have your Bibles or your sermon notes, we're going to be in Acts chapter 12. If you want to turn there with me, we're going to read that text in just a moment or so.

This summer, I had the opportunity, just a few weeks ago, to head down to Detroit to take in one of those summer concerts. It was a really good time with some great friends. Just a great, great evening.

What was really so cool about seeing Lauren Daigle is how her music appeals to Christians and non-Christians alike. It's really quite amazing. So, it was a real encouraging concert.

But what was really neat is in between the songs, when she had an opportunity to speak, she kind of hit that issue head on. She said, "I know a lot of this, my songs and message talk a lot about Jesus and this Jesus stuff. And if you're not a Christian, it might be a little weird to you." And then she welcomed everyone. It was really, really positive.

And with that, I'm going to turn it over to Pastor Dave. With that same idea in mind, this morning's message may seem a little weird to you. Because finding hope in dark times doesn't come easy. It almost feels unachievable at times. But that's what today's text is going to talk about.

You see, all of us at one time or another in our lives can get overwhelmed with our problems. So much so that our anxiety level just reaches such an intense level that we can't even function anymore. Maybe you've been there before. Even going through the motions can be difficult at those times.

We might become disoriented. We just can't seem to make a decision because everything's kind of in a fog. And we even question things we thought we believed during those times. We can lose hope so much so that we feel like we're being pulled into the undertow, into a dark place. And those are hard times.

But you know what? When life brings us to one of these moments, we can decide to be anxious, paralyzed, and hopeless. But God wants us to turn to him in bold prayer. And he will meet us in our time of need. And that's what today's text in Acts 12 is all about.

The Apostle Peter, this is 12 chapters into what God is doing to this brand new Christian church. And the persecution is really getting to an intense level. So Peter is now thrown in prison and very likely going to be facing death in just a few short days. But the church boldly prayed on Peter's behalf. And he acted, he answered in a supernatural way. And he can do that today to your problem as well.

So I'm really excited to read this text. We're going to read pretty much the whole story here in Acts chapter 12. And if you want to, we'll look at starting in verse 1 and listen along and just see what God did here for this early church.

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 the 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. And 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 Peter to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with 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. And 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.

Then he passed the first and second guards, and he came to the iron gate leading to the city. And 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 said to himself, "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."

Would you please join me in prayer?

Heavenly Father, Lord, we have many, many people in this room that are in a dark place, Lord, overwhelmed by anxiety, troubles. Lord, I know that this text can speak into their lives, Lord, so I just pray your spirit would be with us as we consider the peace you can give us, Lord, when we turn to you in the midst of our problems.

So I just ask your spirit to be with us this morning as we discuss and just meditate on your word. Lord, we ask you to work now in our presence. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Such a great story. If you have your notes, point number one from our text, I'd like to share with you is that we acknowledge the problem, but we trust God's plan.

When we're facing trouble, we acknowledge the problem, but trust God's plan. I'll tell you, in the life of Peter, he was facing bad trouble. His spiritual mentor, Jesus, had ascended into heaven, wasn't with him any longer. Stephen was murdered. And now we read James, the brother of John, one of those first disciples, was also killed with a sword, indicating from the Jewish people's perspective that he was sharing false religion amongst the people, which we know was not true.

And now King Herod saw the reaction among the Jewish people that they liked what he was doing to them, so he decided to ratchet up the persecution to the next level. So he arrested Peter and put him in the innermost portion of a prison. Not only that, but 16 soldiers would guard him there in that cell.

So Peter's situation was very, very dark. He was likely going to lose his life any moment. The only thing that we read about is this occurred during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. If that wasn't taking place, he probably would have been tried and murdered right then and there. But this gave him a few days. And that's when the church was able to pray.

But what I find so amazing about what was going on in Peter's life is we read in verse 6 that despite this darkness that he was undergoing, Peter was sleeping, sleeping between two soldiers. So imagine being bound one arm and then the other with soldiers spending the night with you in prison. Not a great situation there.

And I mean, it reminds me of international travel I've done to Europe before. There was this, I think it was my first trip to Europe. You know, it's in the evening, so you're hoping to get sleep during the night as you fly over. Not the case. To my left, there was a very, very large man. And to my right, there was a very, very rambunctious toddler. And I did not sleep one minute on that plane.

I do not understand how Peter, in his situation, was able to sleep pretty much on death row. Well, I think Peter saw God's working in that early church. And Peter knew one thing: that God was in control. God was sovereign. God was bigger than his problems. A lot of times, we have a hard time accepting that.

I love Charles Spurgeon, this great English preacher. He talked about the sovereignty of God. And this is a quote. It's in your notes as well. It's just awesome. "When you go through a trial, the sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which you lay your head."

I love that picture because it shows that even when we are going through horrible, difficult things, we can go to sleep at night and rest our head knowing that God has our back. Isn't that a wonderful thought today? But I think a lot of us have trouble accepting that.

Rather than letting God handle it, we decide to come up with a plan of our own to fix the issue. We don't pray. We don't look to God. And we say, "Oh, I can handle this." And we take the problem and we put it on our shoulders. Have you done that? It's heavy. And nothing gets resolved.

Having peace is something Satan doesn't want us to have. And I think that there are really two lies that Satan tells us that makes us not feel the peace that God wants us to have.

The first is this, and this is in your notes: Our life should be problem-free. Satan wants us to believe that. But if you take a look at your Bible, where did sin enter into the world? It's actually about page three in the Bible. So we are in a fallen world. God tells us that. We will have a problem-free world when we go to heaven with Christ. That's what we look for.

But God, right now, tells us something completely different. In John 16, verse 33, Jesus said this: "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart. I have overcome the world."

So we will have problems. We need to acknowledge that fact.

The other lie of the enemy, and I think it's an even more damaging lie, is that our problems have no purpose. Satan tells us our problems have no purpose. What's happening to us is random. It's just bad luck. And what you are going through is just a pure accident.

But you know what? That's not the case. God's word tells us that he is Lord over all. And it reminds me of this story of this young man, very handsome, very talented man. And his parents loved him very much. But there was a lot of turmoil between this man and his brothers. So much so that at one point, his brothers really separated this man from his family. So he had to go his own separate way.

But this man did the right thing, recovered, got this amazing job, all kinds of responsibility, and just loved where God had him. And it turns out that the boss at that company came on to him. He resisted her pursuit of him. But eventually, he got thrown into prison.

You might recognize that as Joseph from the Old Testament. Joseph knew what it was like to feel those mountaintop experiences. But Joseph also had many setbacks along the way.

But you know what? When Joseph looked back at his life many years later, in fact, when he encountered his brothers towards the end of his life, Joseph didn't see those setbacks as random accidents. No. Joseph said something completely different. In Genesis 50, verse 20, this is such a great verse that summarizes his response. Joseph, speaking to his brothers, said, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

You see, whatever problem you're going through, there is a higher purpose to what is going on. When we're going through troubles, we need to learn what God is teaching us and put our faith and follow in him.

So you might be thinking to yourself, "Okay, I'm going to just deal with these problems and I understand God will give me peace as I go through that. That is super encouraging." But what else does God expect me to do?

And this takes us to point number two in our text. And that is, we need to make prayer your first resort, not your last.

Make prayer your first resort, not your last. I want to turn your attention back to verse number five in our text. And I'm going to read it once, and then the second time, if you would read it along with me, because I think it's such an important verse.

Here in this story, verse five says this: "So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him."

Let's read that together. "So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him."

I think the first time I read this story, I kind of skimmed through that verse and didn't take notice of it. But really, there is so much power in the prayer that the church gave on Peter's behalf. It really is the linchpin of this entire story. That was what they relied on.

If any of you watched international news yesterday, you might have heard about the rescue of the four hostages in Gaza by the Israeli special forces. Really an amazing story. They spent over one month planning this rescue. The special forces were actually in what looked like a humanitarian truck. They pulled up to the building where the hostages were. On the second floor, they had ladders ready to go. As they went up, they had air support dropping bombs, and they had to take out over 200 enemies to get those four hostages.

I believe the main leader on the Israeli side ended up dying. But it was just an amazing, well-planned rescue. And so praise God for that.

But what's interesting in our story here, the church, they didn't have this big escape plan at all. They didn't decide to go to the Roman authorities and ask for Peter's release. What did they do? They boldly prayed. Prayed. That's all they did. And God listened to them.

You know, our world doesn't think much of prayer, does it? The phrase "thoughts and prayers," it's derided on TV. When you say, "I'm thinking of you, I'm praying about you," our world laughs. But God doesn't laugh. God is listening.

James 5:16 tells it plain as day what God said. It says that the prayers of an earnest person are powerful and effective.

And just to go back here for a second, our prayers, what is our prayer supposed to look like? Many of us struggle with prayer. What is our prayer supposed to look like?

Well, I think the key is in verse 5, that word "earnestly." And the word "earnestly" is not a word we use a whole lot in our language. I don't say it too often. But if we take a look back in the original manuscript of the New Testament, which was written primarily in Greek, the word they used for "earnestly" is "exonos."

And that's shown there on the screen. To the left of that, you see the Greek characters. And so this helps us understand what "earnestly" meant here, what that prayer looked like. It was eager.

And, you know, boy, it's such a challenge to us. Are we praying, in a sense, where we are eager to get alone with the Lord? You know, are we just desiring that alone time with God? This church did.

And the other thing that they did is they were fervent. They were fervently praying. So they had intensity. They just had a lot of energy in their prayer. And they were praying absolutely constantly.

I think that's the type of prayer God wants from us. He wants us to earnestly pray to him. Because, you see, apart from God's word and his church, there is nothing more powerful than prayer.

King David knew that. Before he went to any major battle, David would pray to the Lord, asking for the victory. And I love in Psalm 20, verse 6, how David's prayer went to the Lord before a major battle that he was about to go on. And David said this in Psalm: "Now I know this, the Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand."

David understood God's power to answer prayer. David understood God desires to give us the victory. And David, I think, is a wonderful example to us.

So on this point here, I would ask you, with the problem that's overwhelming you at this moment, have you prayed about it? If you haven't, my desire for you is to do that today, do that tonight, do it tomorrow morning, whenever you can. Take five to ten minutes alone with the Lord and talk to him about your problem. He will listen. He's stooping down his ear to hear what you have to say to him. And he will listen to you. You are not alone.

So after you pray, the church prayed earnestly. Then what did they do? Point number three is they watched for answered prayer. Watch for answered prayer and be amazed.

It is absolutely amazing, this story. I love, so this angel showing up in this cell, brightening the cell up, and just kind of poking Peter on the side to wake him up, telling him to get dressed, which I find all those details really interesting.

In this story, I think Peter must have been half asleep, so the angel's like, "You better get your clothes on." So anyway, they get dressed, and the angel leads him past the first gate with the soldiers, walks him to the second gate, past the soldiers, and then the final and third gate that leads to the city miraculously opens on its own.

Only God, only God can do that and act in such a supernatural way. So imagine Peter, death row, no hope, 16 soldiers. What hope did he have? And he just saw God show up in a big way.

What an amazing thing. And if you read, I encourage you to read the rest of this chapter and how, when Peter reappeared to the church, they just couldn't believe how their prayers were answered. Absolutely amazing.

You see, the doors that were once closed for Peter were now opened. God answers prayer.

And it's probably worth mentioning here is, does God answer all of our prayers in a miraculous manner? I think that's an important thing I should bring up. I don't want to give any false hope here. And sometimes God does answer in miraculous ways. Sometimes he doesn't.

But you know what I've learned in my life is that when I'm abiding in Christ, when I'm close to God, and he's abiding in me, when my prayers are all subject to his will, when my prayers are all about what his glory will be, God answers prayer.

God answers prayer. Back in 2009, anyone remember the great recession we went through? It was a hard time in our country for a lot of us. And it was always the first time in my life I was ever laid off. I was laid off from my job for three months.

And yeah, it was a very hard time. You could not even get a job at McDonald's. Like it was, you couldn't. There was just, there was no jobs anywhere. I remember one day when I was laid off, watching the garbage man come up unloading my garbage. And I'm like, man, that guy's got it figured out. He's working and I'm not. And it was just, it was a hard, it was a really, really hard time.

So I was blessed that I got out of it. I got an interview at a job, and this job looked absolutely perfect. The pay was good. I wasn't gonna have to move out of state, which was one thing I was worried about. Wasn't gonna foreclose on my home. So I was just, man, I was just so excited.

Went on the job interview, seemed to go pretty well. And so went home and just kind of waiting for that answer. And it was just a day or two later, I checked my email. And I get this email that said, "Sorry, you didn't get the job."

And I mean, I was absolutely devastated. But what really was bad is the rest of the email. It was, "We don't think you're a good fit for this position or our company." So it was kind of like, it's like, okay. Usually there's some encouragement when they let you down, like, "We'll keep trying," or "No, not this."

And so to me, it was God. It was a shut door in my life. And man, I was devastated. I was worried. And so I really went into some deep prayer and deep meditation with God.

And two weeks later, I got another email from the same person I interviewed with. The email said, "I hope you haven't given up on this job because we want to hire you."

And I'm still working there today, almost 15 years later. And I hope to retire at the end of the year if all goes well. And I just know that God has a plan and God listens to prayer. And if it requires miraculous or supernatural means, God will do it, no questions asked.

And so that's just kind of my testimony of God's answered prayer. I was writing this sermon this week. I had XM Radio, The Message, and this song came on. I'm gonna show the lyrics here real quick. And I just had to share it because it fit in perfect with my message.

It was a Casting Crowns song. And the words go like this: "Your world's not falling apart. It's falling into place. I'm on the throne. Stop holding on and just be held."

You know those highs, those setbacks? God’s in all of it. God has his eye on you. But you know what God wants? He wants you to pray to him. He wants you to trust in him with absolutely everything.

Matthew 11:28, I think I've included this in my last sermon as well. And it just reminds me, whatever you're going through in life, God is there. God is there for you. And he says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

See, God is not the author of confusion. He is a God of rest. So I pray today, you would trust in him.

At this point, if you guys would close your eyes and bow your heads just for a moment. If you're a believer here, if you are someone who's trusted in Jesus as your Lord and savior, that doesn't mean you are immune to difficulty.

So if your problems have you absolutely overwhelmed, causing you anxiety, confusion, and hopelessness, bring it to the Lord in prayer. Bold prayer. He's listening.

If you're here and you say, "I've never trusted Jesus to be my Lord and savior," or "I'm not sure if I need to make that decision," just know that your absolute greatest need you have in your life is to be saved, to trust in him.

To trust in Jesus. Your spiritual situation is actually just like Peter's was in his cell. You are shackled by sin and you're on death row. The Bible says in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

I think most of us deep down know that, that we're messed up. Not only do we not live up to God's standards, but half the time, we don't even live up to our own standards. And we need Jesus.

Romans 6:23 says, "The wages of sin is death." The only way we have out of this mess is for someone to intervene on our behalf. And Jesus is the answer.

If you've never trusted in Jesus as your Lord and savior, I pray that you do that today. All you have to do from the bottom of your heart is pray to the Lord, maybe use words similar to this, where you say, "Lord, I repent of my sins. I've messed up time and time again, Lord, and I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

You need to believe from the bottom of your heart that Jesus lived a perfect life, one that you could not live, and died for you. That you died the death that you could have died. He took your sin on the cross. His blood was spilled on your behalf.

And to accept that forgiveness, all you have to do is trust in Jesus. You say, "Lord, I accept that forgiveness. Lord, I want to be saved. Lord, I want to be born again. Lord, please do that for me today."

So if you're able to make that prayer today, I pray you do that. And the angels rejoice when sinners turn their lives over to Jesus.

Heavenly Father, Lord, if there's someone here who's made that decision, Lord, I just pray you would bless that. Lord, I pray that you would guide them on their next steps. Lord, that they would just sink into the life of this church, that we might help them on the next step of being a believer, Lord.

So I just pray that you would guide them on their next steps. And Lord, for those believers who are here, Lord, I pray that prayer would not be a last resort, but Lord, that it would be a first resort in their life. Lord, that they can have peace in the midst of their darkness.

We love you. We ask you, in Jesus' name, amen.

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "When life brings us to one of these moments, we can decide to be anxious, paralyzed, and hopeless. But God wants us to turn to him in bold prayer. And he will meet us in our time of need." [43:11](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




2. "We acknowledge the problem, but we trust God's plan. When we're facing trouble, we acknowledge the problem, but trust God's plan." [47:42](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




3. "Having peace is something Satan doesn't want us to have. And I think that there are really two lies that Satan tells us that makes us not feel the peace that God wants us to have. The first is that we don't have peace. The first is this, and this is in your notes. Our life should be problem-free. Satan wants us to believe that." [51:55](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




4. "Make prayer your first resort, not your last. I want to turn your attention back to verse number five in our text. And I'm going to read it once, and then the second time, if you would read it along with me, because I think it's such an important verse. Here in this story, verse five says this, So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him." [56:08](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




5. "You see, apart from God's word in his church, there is nothing more powerful than prayer. King David knew that. Before he went to any major battle, David would pray to the Lord, asking for the victory." [01:00:42](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




### Quotes for Members

1. "But you know what? When life brings us to one of these moments, we can decide to be anxious, paralyzed, and hopeless. But God wants us to turn to him in bold prayer. And he will meet us in our time of need. And that's what today's text in Acts 12 is all about. The Apostle Peter, this is 12 chapters into what God is doing to this brand new Christian church. And the persecution is really getting to an intense level. So Peter is now thrown in prison and very likely going to be facing death in just a few short days. But the church boldly prayed on Peter's behalf." [43:11](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




2. "But what I find so amazing about what was going on in Peter's life, is we read in verse 6, that despite this darkness that he was undergoing, that Peter was sleeping, sleeping between two soldiers. So imagine being bound one arm and then the other with soldiers spending the night with you in prison. Not a great situation there. And I mean, it reminds me of international travel I've done to Europe before. There was this, I think it was my first trip to Europe. You know, it's in the evening, so you're hoping to get sleep during the night as you fly over." [49:34](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




3. "And sometimes God does answer in miraculous ways. Sometimes he doesn't. But you know what I've learned in my life is that, when I'm abiding in Christ, when I'm close to God, and he's abiding in me, when my prayers are all subject to his will, when my prayers are all about what his glory will be, God answers prayer. God answers prayer." [01:03:51](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




4. "So you might be thinking to yourself, okay, I'm going to just deal with these problems and I understand God will give me peace, as I go through that. That is super encouraging. But what else does God expect me to do? And this takes us to point number two in our text. And that is, we need to make prayer your first resort, not your last. Make prayer your first resort, not your last." [56:08](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




5. "So after you pray, the church prayed earnestly. Then what did they do? Point number three is they watched for answered prayer. Watch for answered prayer and be amazed. It is absolutely amazing, this story. I love, so this angel showing up in this cell, brightening the cell up, and just kind of poking Peter on the side to wake him up, telling him to get dressed, which I find all those details really interesting. In this story, I think Peter must have been half asleep, so the angel's like, you better get your clothes on." [01:02:19](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)