The Church in Prayer
P.C. Barker Acts 12:5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church to God for him. The primitive Church is here found, amid circumstances so full of interest that they even tempt attention, in prayer for an acknowledged leader, a prized teacher and pastor and an undoubted apostle. The Church now is praying to God for one thing, in submission to his will - that Peter may be spared to it and spared to the world. The essentials of effectual prayer in the Church cannot differ intrinsically from those in the individual; but they are strikingly presented to the mind here. Under the one word "prayer," a variety of spiritual exercise, as is well known, is continually included, viz. the outpourings of adoration of the one great Object of prayer, the according of grateful praise and thanks to him, the penitential confession of our sin, and self-humiliation on account of it. But there are very many who will join in all this, and from the heart believe in it, who yield either no assent or a heartless assent to what is after all the chief thing in prayer, its chief wonder and chief privilege, namely, petition. Without studying the theory, let us notice one striking instance of the practice of prayer. True theory is never overthrown by fact, but facts often put to rout theory falsely so called, and expose its weak points. We may observe, then - I. THE QUALITIES THAT MARKED THE PRAYER OR PETITION OF THE CHURCH. 1. It was most distinct in its object. The safety of Peter is the one desire of the heart of all who joined to pray. Individual prayer and private prayer are very likely to become vague, vague and multifarious, vague and indiscriminating, vague and inevitably indifferent. Perhaps the tendencies of public and united prayer are yet more exposed to this snare, for the obvious reasons (1) that the thoughts of many hearts must be considered for; and (2) that intercession, which must be the memory of many in want, will generally form a large portion of that prayer. It is well when heart and mind and devotion follow each of these with intelligent distinctness. 2. Sincerity of faith marked the Church's prayer at this crisis. He who cometh to God in prayer must believe (1) that he is; but (2) none the less that he lends a willing, gracious ear to prayer; in order (3) that he may duly, in his own wise time and wise way, answer it, and do nothing less than answer it. Prayer with the mock humility of a timid fear that it is presumptuous to pray, never brought a blessing. The heart's glory in prayer is, if (with George Herbert) it "gasp out," Et vult et potest, of God as the Object and the Hearer of prayer. 3. Great earnestness in petition was displayed by the Church. The heart's desire and prayer to God on the part of those composing it was for the saving of Peter's life. Herod is known to be full of cruelty. He has just "killed with the sword James the brother of John." And he is known to be goaded on by that worst sting, the sting of "desiring to please" certain fellow-creatures. There is only One with whom we are safe, and always safe, in wishing and aiming to please him. Far enough off from Herod's eye and thought was that One. He was torn, and therefore in turn cruelly and guiltily tore others, by a vain, weak, contemptible desire for a moment to "please the Jews." The Church did not cower but did pray accordingly, prayed with earnestness. 4. Patience marked this great instance of prayer. It was, nevertheless, not the patience of silence, but of speech; it was not the patience of sitting down with folded hands, but of kneeling down with clasped hands; it was the patience of importunity, that very characteristic to which Jesus himself in the days of his flesh gave such prominence and such conspicuous honor (Luke 18:1-8). II. PRAYER WAS IS NO SENSE AT A DISCOUNT BECAUSE IT WAS AN AGE OF MIRACLE, AND OF ABOUNDING MIRACLE. 1. However conspicuously God does the work, and the Word of Christ is strong, and the Holy Spirit's energy is essential and must be conferral, nothing is diminished of the act of prayer (if we may for a moment so call it) in all this history. Men pray, pray constantly, pray even before miracle, and prayer is an actual deed honored of Heaven. It has been truly said that a correct alias for the Acts of the Apostles would be "The Acts of the Holy Ghost," and this is most true. Another not altogether inapt style of the book might be "The Acts of Prayer." For here they abound and in the most significant situation, from those of the first chapter (Acts 1:14, 24) to that of the last (Acts 28:8). 2. The distinctness and promptness of reply to prayer, which miracles wrought made occasionally very evident, even had the tendency to increase faith in prayer. Men would not lie by and do nothing when they remembered how only yesterday God graciously and marvelously interposed undeniably for even eye of sense. Yet the lesson that the temporary dispensation of miracle should have taught the Church for evermore, when miracle of sense was gone is, alas! often lost now. Need the thing signified be lost and wastefully sacrificed because the mere outside sign is gone? It is all our own fault if we do not oftener see for ourselves the fulfillment of the word of Jesus, "Ye shall see greater things than these." It is undeniable that one spiritual miracle, e.g., that of the conversion of Saul, counted for more, counts still for more, will ever count for more, than all the miracles wrought upon the body, that ever were. Let the Church's prayer today oftener challenge some spiritual miracle, and who will doubt the issue? III. In conclusion, two things might be well observed, as justly to be gathered from this subject. 1. That the very heart of prayer lies in petition. Petition may be considered as the crucial question which prayer involves, and the crowning privilege of it. The petition of the sinner for mercy, pardon, salvation, being ever to be ranked as the typical petition. 2. That it may be placed among the moral defenses of prayer, that the qualities which make it real, which make it strong, which make it a convincing and mighty power, are just the same with those which make work real, strong, and full of fruit. Distinctness of object, sincerity of faith in your practical object, earnestness in the pursuit of it, and patient, persevering determination are the qualities that win the day. And they do so by the verdict of the world. It is an indication that prayer and work have known one another this long time, and, so far from disclaiming a family relationship, persistently assert it. They are the union of the Divine and the human. - B. Parallel Verses KJV: Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. WEB: Peter therefore was kept in the prison, but constant prayer was made by the assembly to God for him.