A Prayer Meeting Interrupted

The room was packed with believers.

These were hard times for the fledging church.  The king had just executed James, and now he'd put Peter in prison.  Others had lost jobs or been disowned by family.  Persecution was a daily reality.  They had plenty to pray about.

Darkness had fallen, and still the meeting continued.

There was a knock at the door.  One of the servant girls slipped out of the circle and went to answer it.  Probably someone joining us a bit late, she thought.  Or perhaps it's the authorities coming to drag us all to prison.  There was always that possibility…

"Who is it?"

"It's me," a familiar voice answered from the other side of the gate.

Rhoda dashed back inside to where everyone else was, still praying.  Her exclamation shattered the collective murmur.  "It's Peter!"

One by one they looked up.  Heads were shaking now.  "You're crazy, girl.  It can't be him."

"But it is!  It was his voice, I'm sure of it," she insisted.

"How can it possibly be Peter?  Don't you remember?  He's in prison!  That's why we've been praying for him.  For his release…"

A strange expression came over some of their faces as they realized what they were saying.  No, it's not Peter.  That's impossible.  He's in prison, and we've been praying for his release, and we know God can do anything…so it just CAN'T be him outside that door!

Finally someone said, "Well, where is he?  Didn't you open the door?!"

And they found themselves staring at the answer to the prayers they'd just been praying.  They were amazed, completely amazed.  Why?  Was it because, when the rubber met the road, they didn't truly believe God was able to do anything?

* * *

It's another one of my favorite stories in Acts.  I love the chains falling off, the prison guards sleeping, and how Peter shows up at the prayer meeting when no expects him there. 

There are just so many things that can only be God.

In spite of the fact that the Bible is filled with such accounts - even though I know them and love them - when it comes to me…

Do I really pray with faith?  If I believe He's the Hero, why am I so often surprised when He does big things? when He answers prayer in amazing ways?