信心的祈求
使徒行傳十二章1至11節
1那時，希律王下手苦害教會中幾個人，
2用刀殺了約翰的哥哥雅各。
3他見猶太人喜歡這事，又去捉拿彼得。那時正是除酵的日子。
4希律拿了彼得，收在監裡，交付四班兵丁看守，每班四個人，意思要在逾越節後把他提出來，當著百姓辦他。
5於是彼得被囚在監裡；教會卻為他切切的禱告神。
6希律將要提他出來的前一夜，彼得被兩條鐵鍊鎖著，睡在兩個兵丁當中；看守的人也在門外看守。
7忽然，有主的一個使者站在旁邊，屋裡有光照耀，天使拍彼得的肋旁，拍醒了他，說：快快起來！那鐵鍊就從他手上脫落下來。
8天使對他說：束上帶子，穿上鞋。他就那樣作。天使又說：披上外衣，跟著我來。
9彼得就出來跟著他，不知道天使所作是真的，只當見了異象。
10過了第一層第二層監牢，就來到臨街的鐵門，那門自己開了。他們出來，走過一條街，天使便離開他去了。
11彼得醒悟過來，說：我現在真知道主差遣他的使者，救我脫離希律的手和猶太百姓一切所盼望的。
信息分享
當讀到今天這段經文時，也許立即勾起某些人的反應，質疑神為何容讓自己受苦，卻又幫助別人解困。當我們落入艱難困苦的境況時，也許最好先反省一個問題：「神究竟想我從中學到甚麼功課呢？」有些時候，當我們開始認真去學習神要我們去學的功課，神就會逐漸改變客觀的環境，為我們打開出路。神的計劃，可能是要藉著困境來使我們作出某些改變，因此，當我們開始作出改變之後，困境便可能迎刃而解。
這段經文的另一個重點是在第5節：教會切切為彼得禱告，求神拯救他。信徒同心合意的祈禱，尤其是對神滿有信心的禱告，確實是大有功效的。
當然，真正的禱告永遠是「在神的面前」懇切祈求。當們面對危難或挫敗的經歷時，往往會猛然醒覺，我們如果離開了神，便甚麼也不能作。我們若希望禱告產生果效，就必須與神保持美好的相交。
而且，禱告不要流於空泛，要確切地將真正的需要帶到神的面前。請留意，經文中的信徒並非無的放矢地禱告，反之，他們是確切地為到彼得的安危代求，而神最終亦垂聽和應允了他們的禱告。
許多時候，我們確實只能憑著信心禱告，不知道神的計劃最終要怎樣。然而，我們只要全心全意地信靠神，並為到內心的逼切需要向神祈求，神終必垂聽。我們也許需要等候一段時間，才能得到神的回應；而神的回應也許並不如我們所求；可是，我們必須切記：愛我們的神，總必把最好的給予祂的兒女。主啊，求你教導我們禱告。
ONE DIED, ONE DELIVERED
Acts 12: 1 - 11
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.
2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.
4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.
6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.
7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands.
8 Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.”
9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”
Message
Perhaps someone reading this page today has been unable to understand why they have been allowed to suffer while others have not. In those circumstances it is always good to ask this question, 'What does God want me to learn from all of this?' Sometimes when we begin to really learn the lesson God has for us, he then changes our circumstances. When the planned change begins in us, often the situation changes too.
The other point to notice in our reading today is found in verse 5. Prayer was made by the church unto God for him. There is tremendous power in the united prayer of God's people, especially when they really lay hold of God for the special thing they are asking for.
True prayer of course is always 'unto God'. Sometimes we need to be reminded that without him we can do nothing. If we want what prayer can do, then we have to be truly in touch with God.
Prayer was very definite, too. Notice it says 'for him'. They were not praying general prayers which went round the world and back again. They were praying definitely for Peter - a particular person - and God heard and answered.
Sometimes we have to pray in faith, not knowing just what God will do. But when we put our trust in him and definitely ask him for that which is on our hearts, he will always answer. We may have to wait. His answer may not be what we wanted or asked for, but it will be for our best good. Lord, teach us to pray.