Powerful Word!
-Helen Utegaard
Peter was kept in prison, but “fervent” prayer for him was persistently made to God by the church assembly. (Acts 12:5 AMPC) Not just by the firecracker, anointed person who always seems to get everything done — this fervent prayer was made by the church!
According to Miriam-Webster’s Dictionary, this word “fervent” means “very hot.” So Peter was kept in prison, but “very hot” prayer for him was persistently made!
That’s just not quoting healing scriptures! Fervent prayer is the Spirit of the Lord taking up with you and you taking up with Him! You may speak scripture, but you don’t just quote it. There’s a massive difference! That Word comes out of you like a force that Satan cannot handle!!
Acts 12:7 AMPC says, “And suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared….” What happened? Suddenly Heaven manifested!
The pray-ers created an opening! And they brought things into alignment so that whatever had to happen, they pulled Heaven into that place! Because of the prayers of the saints in another place!
The saints weren’t in the jail! They were in another location. But because the saints prayed, Heaven didn’t show up where the saints were. Heaven showed up where it was needed!
We the Church always want Heaven to show up where we are. It wasn’t a good service unless we felt His presence.
But the saints weren’t working for His presence in Acts 12; they were working with God HOT by the Spirit. There was nothing in them that wanted a touch. They wanted PETER to get the touch! They wanted Peter to get free!
Their fervent prayer wasn’t man-ward or to satisfy a good meeting. It was for the purpose of causing Heaven to intervene by the authority that was invested in the Church — and they pulled Heaven right into the situation with Peter!
And we can do that too! We don’t serve a God who is just trying to get the victory over Satan! God IS the Victor! He HAS the victory! And He GAVE the victory to the Church!! (Luke 10:19; Eph. 1:20-23, 2:6-7; 1 John 4:4)
