Acts 12:5
SàBut while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.
HàA couple of things stand out to me about this passage. First, the conflict between the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of the world; they will always be in conflict; the kingdoms of the world have no other choice but to act in opposition to the Kingdom of God as they lust for power and to be like God. As a result those that are citizens of the Kingdom of God will face opposition and some persecution from the kingdom of the world and those that reside in it. The other thing that jumps out at me is that the way in which the Kingdom of God combats this opposition and persecution is not by sword but through prayer. The Kingdom of God gathers together and earnestly prays and in these prayers there is space for God to free His people. It is through earnest prayers that the captives are freed; that is the weapon of the Kingdom of God.
AàI wonder what would happen if those that claim to be followers of Jesus Christ committed to earnestly praying for the captives to be freed? I wonder what would happen if claim to be followers of Jesus prayed as earnestly as they gossip and speak words of death/destruction into the world? My hunch is that there would be a movement of God just like the one we read about in this scripture. That through these prayers God’s angels would be let loosed in a way that the chains would fall off of those that are held captive in the world.
PàI come to you today God and just repent of my temptation to gossip and speak words of death and destruction to the problems of the world. I come today God and earnestly pray that you would let loose those that are held captive by the kingdom of the world. I pray that you would assure in me the confidence that the world’s kingdom has no power over Your Kingdom and that through my prayers I tap into the power of Your Kingdom that will set the captives free. I pray that you would create Crossroads into a place where you dwell and your citizens live there. May the kingdom of the world not be welcome there but may you use us as instruments to free those that that are held hostage to the kingdom of the world.
EàEarnest Prayer is the weapon of the church.
chadpullins@connect2crossroads.com
