THE CRY OF THE CHURCH FOR DIVINE INTERVENTION
Once there is intercession, there is intervention. That is to say, anytime the people of God intercede, God intervenes. Thus, God steps into the situation and make a move. Something new happens. Something amazing and beyond human imagination happens.
Something happened when Simon Peter the Apostle was arrested and imprisoned according to the command of King Herod. He had put Apostle Peter in the inner chamber of the prison with special guards. As if that was not enough for the King. Even in the inner chamber of the prison, Peter was in chains.
Acts 12:1 Now, about that time, Herod the king made cruel attacks on the Christians.
2 And he put James, the brother of John, to death with the sword.
3 And when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews he went on to take Peter in addition. This was at the time of the feast of unleavened bread.
4 And having taken him, he put him in prison, with four bands of armed men to keep watch over him; his purpose being to take him out to the people after the Passover.
5 So Peter was kept in prison: but the church made strong prayer to God for him.
6 And when Herod was about to take him out, the same night Peter was sleeping in chains between two armed men, and the watchmen were keeping watch before the door of the prison.
7 And a great light was seen shining in the room, and an angel of the Lord came to Peter and, touching him on his side so that he came out of his sleep, said, Get up quickly. And his chains came off his hands.
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8 Then the angel said, Put on your shoes and get ready to go. And he did so. And he said, Put your coat round you and come with me.
9 And he went out after him; and he was not certain if what was done by the angel was a fact, for it seemed to him that he was seeing a vision.
10 And when they had gone past the first and second watchmen they came to the iron door into the town, which came open by itself: and they went out and down one street; and then the angel went away.
11 And when Peter came to his senses he said, Now, truly, I am certain that the Lord has sent his angel and taken me out of the hands of Herod, against all the hopes of the Jews.
12 And when he became clear about this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John named Mark, where a number of them had come together for prayer.
13 And he gave a blow on the door, and a young girl came to it, named Rhoda.
14 And hearing the voice of Peter, in her joy she went running, without opening the door, to say that Peter was outside.
15 And they said to her, You are off your head. But still she said, with decision, that it was so. And they said, It is his angel.
16 But Peter went on giving blows on the door: and when it was open and they saw him, they were full of wonder.
17 But he made a sign to them with his hand to be quiet, and gave them an account of how the Lord had taken him out of prison. And he said, Give the news to James and the brothers. And then he went away.
18 Now when it was day, the armed men were greatly troubled about what had become of Peter.
19 And Herod, when he sent for him, and he was not there, after questioning the watchmen, gave orders that they were to be put to death. Then he went down from Judaea to Caesarea for a time.
- From the Bible in Basic English (BBE)
The wicked King Herod at that time had won the favour of the masses for murdering James. This was a great motivation to him to carry on the persecution and murder of the Christians.
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Fortunately enough the arrest of Peter took place on the festival of unleavened bread and as a custom, Peter could not be murdered on that day because of the festival. This was the reason why he was imprisoned. The expected execution date for Peter was just the next day after the festival. The church cried for divine intervention for Peter.
I can imagine what was going through Peter’s mind then. May be he was happy that he was going to meet the LORD. It may also be that he was thinking of meeting his late brothers in the faith; Stephen and James in Paradise. Am sure he was also scared that the persecution was going to continue and his colleagues are going to suffer. I am much more convinced that there was no hope of Peter’s release from the prison except to be killed. Am sure also that even though the other living saints were praying but never hoped that Peter was going to be release from that special prison. Looking at how King Herod was determined to take Peter’s life, he did not allow any window of possible escape.
As the clock tickle moment by moment, the shadow of death was gradually falling on Peter. May be as his fears increased, he was praying Psalm 23:4 “………Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me”.
The Church became strong in prayer for the “yet to die” Apostle Peter. As this persistent and consistent prayer ascended to the throne of grace in Heaven, God could not be silent. Our father in Heaven bowed down His head and looked into the life of Peter and the Church, and heard the call and cry of His own people He purchased with His expensive precious blood. Immediately, God dispatched an Angel to rescue Peter from the awaiting death. Now when the angel entered the prison, he touched Peter and said to him get up quickly. That touch and command was stronger enough to break chains. The word of the LORD is active and sharper than a double-edged sword. The chains responded. And the Bible described that event as sudden.
7 And a great light was seen shining in the room, and an angel of the Lord came to Peter and, touching him on his side so that he came out of his sleep, said, Get up quickly. And his chains came off his hands.
The word of the angel did not examine the quality and durability of the chains, it did not assess the type of metal from which it was made and the technology by which it was invented. The word carried enough power to break the chains to free Peter. In fact, the words of the Angel were spoken to Peter and not the chains, yet the chain must release Peter, so it felled off.
Let me pause here and declare into your life the word of the LORD.
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In the name of Jesus Christ every chain of any type and kind that have chained your life, success and progress, any cord or chains of poverty and diseases and troubles to break and set you free.
May be a particular life situation has imprisoned you. You are in the prison of ill health; paralyses, stroke, barrenness, chronic acquired or inherited, etc, spiritual or physical, I command those chains to break and set you free in the Name of Jesus. For if the Son set you free, you shall be free indeed.
Remember you have come to mount Zion as a believer in Christ Jesus. Hebrews 12:22 - 24
22 but ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels,
23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in , and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24 and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better than that of Abel.
As you have come into an innumerable company of Angels, I declare that from today, Angels will minister to you.
You are entitled to the services of Angels of God.
Heb 1:13-14 “But of which of the angels hath he said at any time, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet?
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation?”
You see, now that you are saved through faith in Christ Jesus by grace, Angels of God are at your service.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory”.
That is why the Angel of the LORD showed up in Peter’s prison. You also qualify for Angelic visitation and intervention today.
I announce the arrival of your angel today in the Name of Jesus Christ.
There is divine intervention on the way. Once there is intercession, remember there is intervention.
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Peter taught he was dreaming as the Angel was leading him out of the prison. I pray that God will supernaturally step into your situation and affairs. I pray that by the time you finish reading this booklet of faith, your troubles and pains will disappear in the name of Jesus Christ.
May be your marriage is at the verge of breaking up. May be you have tried many times to get yourself out of drunkenness, maybe you are going through situations beyond your control, your intervention is on the way in the Name of Jesus Christ.
Now amazing things begun to happen to Peter; the prison doors were opening to let him out. The shocking part of it all is when he got to the Iron Gate. The Bible says the gate opened with it own accord.
Acts12:10 “And when they had gone past the first and second watchmen they came to the iron door into the town, which came open by itself: and they went out and down one street; and then the angel went away”.
I declare in the Name of Jesus Christ that every gate to your freedom be open by itself.
Job 22:28-29 “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; And light shall shine upon thy ways.
When they cast thee down, thou shalt say, There is lifting up; And the humble person he will save”.
This is your moment of freedom. I command all the ancient gates to lift up their heads.
Psalm 24:7 “Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in”.
As the church interceded on Peter’s behalf, God intervened and Peter miraculously escaped that death. There was an Angelic intervention.
Keep on interceding for your wife, children, Husband, Pastor and family, and your friends who are in certain conditions and stop complaining. There shall be divine intervention. When the church cried out, there was intervention on behalf of Peter. If we will raise our voices in prayer of intercession for missionaries daily, you can imagine the number of doors that would be opened for the gospel to reach the unsaved.
A cry for divine intervention.
How God miraculously delivered Peter. It is your turn in the name of Jesus.
