祷告的力量
使徒行传十二章5至17节
5于是彼得被囚在监里；教会却为他切切地祷告神。
6希律将要提他出来的前一夜，彼得被两条铁链锁着，睡在两个兵丁当中。看守的人也在门外看守。
7忽然有主的一个使者站在旁边，屋里有光照耀。天使拍彼得的肋旁，拍醒了他，说：“快快起来！”那铁链就从他手上脱落下来。
8天使对他说：“束上带子，穿上鞋！”他就那样做。天使又说：“披上外衣，跟着我来。”
9彼得就出来跟着他，不知道天使所做是真的，只当见了异象。
10过了第一层、第二层监牢，就来到临街的铁门，那门自己开了。他们出来，走过一条街，天使便离开他去了。
11彼得醒悟过来，说：“我现在真知道主差遣他的使者，救我脱离希律的手和犹太百姓一切所盼望的。”
12想了一想，就往那称呼马可的约翰他母亲马利亚家去，在那里有好些人聚集祷告。
13彼得敲外门，有一个使女名叫罗大，出来探听，
14听得是彼得的声音，就欢喜的顾不得开门，跑进去告诉众人说：“彼得站在门外！”
15他们说：“你是疯了！”使女极力地说：“真是他！”他们说：“必是他的天使。”
16彼得不住地敲门。他们开了门，看见他，就甚惊奇。
17彼得摆手，不要他们做声，就告诉他们主怎样领他出监，又说：“你们把这事告诉雅各和众弟兄。”于是出去往别处去了。
信息分享
他们切切为狱中的彼得祷告，听他们的祷告一定很有意思，他们肯定求神保守彼得，但是对于神会怎样帮助彼得，却可能各有主见。我们岂不是也经常这样祷告吗？不过，神仍以爱回应，并令我们惊喜。
想到希律翌日就要处死彼得，而被两条铁链锁着的他，居然在两个兵丁中间酣睡，那场景实在不同寻常。基督曾经告诉彼得，他年老的时候，要被人束上，带到不愿意去的地方（约廿一18-19）；彼得虽然不能完全明白那番话，但他却有足够的信心，将自己交在神的手中。接着，天使突然显现。
天使曾有不同的显现，有时是天使的形象，有时以人的形象。这位天使不得不摇醒彼得，还提醒他束上带子、穿上鞋，然后他们一同离开监狱。
彼得回到他熟悉的环境，天使便离他而去，他已经完成任务了。彼得这才明白发生了甚么，立即赶往马利亚的家。在里面祷告的信徒不能相信是彼得敲门，到发现真的是他，自然是惊喜万分。
这事发生之后，我们对彼得的动向便所知不多。使徒行传的作者将焦点转移到新的领袖──使徒保罗身上。据教会传说，多年以后，彼得在罗马被钉十架殉道。这位伟大的渔夫终于完成了神呼召他的工作，并在神的时间，将他的生命全然奉献给主──就是那位昔日在加利利海边呼召他的主。彼得对主至死忠心，为我们留下了美好的榜样。
THE POWER OF PRAYER
Acts 12: 5-17
5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant[a] 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.”
12 So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.
13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer.
14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate.
15 But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.”
16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
17 But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place.
Message
Their praying all centred around Peter in prison. It would have been very interesting to have heard their prayers. No doubt they were praying for God's preservation for Peter, but perhaps they had their own idea as to how God was to do it. We often pray like that, don't we? And God still loves to surprise us.
The picture of Peter sleeping chained to two soldiers is quite remarkable, considering Herod planned to execute him the next day. However, Christ had told Peter that he would be crucified when he was older (John 21:18-19) and no doubt while Peter didn't understand it all, he had enough faith to leave his future in God's hands. Then suddenly the angel appeared.
There have been various appearances of angels both in angelic form and in human form through the years. This angel had to shake Peter awake and even told him to get dressed. Then they walked out of the prison together.
As soon as Peter reached familiar surroundings the angel left him. He had done his work. Now Peter realised what had happened and went immediately to Mary's home. Those praying could not believe it was Peter but what joy they must have had when full realisation came to them.
We know very little of his movements after this. He graciously gave way to a new leader - the apostle Paul and all the attention turned that way. It is generally believed Peter was crucified in Rome at a much later date. But the big fisherman had done what he was called to do and in God's own time, he gave his life for the one who had called him back there at the Sea of Galilee. It is a wonderful story of a man faithful to Christ and a wonderful example for us.