Stop Dreaming and Start Living

Pray for Mike / Glen Jackson

A local church pastor, burdened by the importance of his work, went into the sanctuary to pray. Falling to his knees, he lamented, “O Lord, I am nothing! I am nothing.”

The associate Pastor passed by, and overhearing the prayer, was moved to join the other pastor on his knees. Shortly he, too, was crying aloud, “O Lord, I too am nothing. I am nothing.”

The janitor of the church, awed by the sight of the two men praying, joined them crying, “O Lord, I also am nothing. I am nothing.”

At this, the associate pastor nudged his senior pastor and said, “Now look who thinks he’s nothing.”

That’s not how prayer should work!

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Have you ever had a moment where something felt too good to be true?

Maybe it was an answer to prayer you never thought would come.

Maybe it was a breakthrough you didn’t see coming.

Or maybe… you're still waiting. Praying, hoping, wondering if God even hears you.

In Acts 12:5-19, Peter experiences something so miraculous, so beyond reason, that he thinks he’s dreaming. But it wasn’t a dream.

Peter is in prison. James has just been executed. Herod’s on a rampage, and it looks like Peter is next. But while Peter sits chained between two guards, the church is praying; fervently, constantly, behind closed doors. Then, in the middle of the night, an angel shows up, light floods the cell, chains fall off, and Peter walks right out past guards and locked gates like it’s nothing.

He thinks he’s dreaming, but it’s real. It’s God. And while the church is still praying for a Peter’s release, he is knocking at the door. They can’t believe it. But it’s true. God moved, not because they deserved it, but because they prayed. And Peter stepped into a new reality, one shaped by God’s provision, not human power.

It was a reality shaped by the prayers of God’s people.

And that raises a question for us today:

What if the breakthrough you’ve been praying for isn’t stuck in heaven; it’s already knocking on your door?

Today I want to talk to you about what happens when the church prays, I mean, really prays.

Because too often, we pray like wishful thinkers instead of faith-filled believers.

We pray as if we're hoping for a dream, rather than waking up to a reality God has already made possible.

I believe God is calling us, not to keep dreaming, but to start living in the supernatural reality He’s already unlocked through prayer.

Theme: Prayer is not wishful thinking or spiritual dreaming, it wakes us up to God’s reality of provision. Prayer quiets our heart to hear the heart of God.

I hope to:

Aim: To stir believers to pray boldly, expect divine intervention, and live awake to the supernatural reality God provides through prayer.

So, what can we learn, and how can we apply this scripture today?

We Pray Even in Crisis

Acts 12:5 CEV

5 While Peter was being kept in jail, the church never stopped praying to God for him.

The church, and specifically Peter was in a real crisis moment. He was the leader of the early church and now he was locked behind iron bars, chained to soldiers, and under the shadow of execution.

So what did the church do in crisis? Hire the best lawyers? Plan a protest? Run and hide? Nope. They prayed.

Not casually, but earnestly, and constantly.

Here’s the deal, I BELIEVE there is power in prayer. If someone is sick, we ask for divine healing, if someone needs deliverance, we ask, in prayer, for Jesus to set them free. It’s part of being a believer. We pray. It’s actually how we wage war in the Spirit.

When you are in a Crisis moment you need to connect to the one who has the ability to change your moment. Connecting with God is the greatest thing we can do in the moments of our greatest despair.

So, why do we neglect prayer in our moments of need? It’s the same old lie of the enemy that goes all the way back to the garden of Eden. It’s the lie that says, are you sure that God said that? It’s the lie that says we are smarter. We can do our own thing. But the biggest problem with a lie is that it’s now true!

We must do what the Bible tells us to do when we are in need of supernatural intervention:

Ephesians 6:18 CEV

18 Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying for God’s people.

We know that Jesus told us that we should pray and believe that God can do the impossible.

But let’s be real honest today…when trouble hits, prayer can feel like a last resort. We need to open our eyes to see that prayer needs to be the FIRST action and ONLY response when hardship comes our way.

When the enemy does his worst, the church must do its best and our best always begins in prayer!

If we want to connect with the will of God then we must connect with God in prayer.

Don’t neglect praying through the crisis moments of life.

Prayer gives us Peace

Prayer Gives us Peace

It’s actually a Peace That Doesn’t Make Sense

Philippians 4:7 CEV

Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.

In life, we go up and down, but our peace should remain centered because we belong to Jesus!

I want you to see something about Peter:

Acts 12:6 CEV

6 The night before Peter was to be put on trial, he was asleep and bound by two chains. A soldier was guarding him on each side, and two other soldiers were guarding the entrance to the jail.

Imagine this: the execution is scheduled, and Peter’s asleep between two soldiers. Not anxious. Not panicking. Sleeping.

Could you do that? Well I can remember being worried about not being able to pay my internet bill - it robbed me of peace. That’s much less than the fear of death.

How? We have a PROMISE (another way of saying, the WILL of God)

Maybe he remembered this promise of Jesus:

John 14:27 CEV

27 I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn’t like the peace that this world can give. So don’t be worried or afraid.

If you don’t have peace, then maybe you aren’t connected to Jesus’ will as much as you think. We need to take this promise to our knees in prayer until the peace comes in our situations.

Peter trusted the Word of Jesus more than the threat of Herod. It’s one thing to trust in the Words of Jesus, but knowing that your brothers and sisters in Christ are lifting you up in prayer and standing in faith brings a peace that doesn’t make sense. A praying family of believers HELPS us endure.

When you know the promises of God and you’re surrounded by a church that prays, you can rest, even in chains. Peace doesn’t come from control. It comes from confidence in Christ’s word.

Dreams CAN become Reality

Let me remind you a song you know:

When you wish upon a star. Makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desire. Will come to you.

If your heart is in your dream. No request is too extreme. When you wish upon a star As dreamers do Fate is kind She brings to those to love The sweet fulfillment of Their secret longing Like a bolt out of the blue Fate steps in and sees you through

When you wish upon a star

Your dreams come true

What a load of garbage. Man, I am not praying to a star. A star is a falling rock in space. Dreams don’t come true by wishing on a star.

We must wake up from our dreams to the reality of God’s provision!

Acts 12:9 CEV

9 Peter left with the angel, but he thought everything was only a dream.

God answered the churches prayer and Peter thought it was a dream!

Sometimes God moves so powerfully that we can’t believe it’s real. But this wasn’t a vision. This was reality, God was breaking in.

Iron gates, Roman guards, locked chains, none of them could stop the will of God fueled by the prayers of His people.

What if we’re still living like we’re in prison, even though the gate is already open? What if God’s already moved, already answered, already provided, and we just haven’t stepped into it?

We can pray, pray, and pray, but God has already provided the miracle! We’ve been praying like we’re dreaming, but God is calling us to wake up and walk out into a new reality.

Standing on the truth of God’s word is not wishing on a star, it’s standing on firm ground. It’s standing in faith.

Prayer without faith is only words! We need to believe when we pray and know:

Ephesians 3:20 NLT

20 …through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Stop dreaming, and wake up to God’s truth in your life today. Take a step of faith, push on the door that’s been closed. Check to see if the chains have been broken.

Acts 12:12–15 CEV

12 Then Peter went to the house of Mary the mother of John whose other name was Mark. Many of the Lord’s followers had come together there and were praying. 13 Peter knocked on the gate, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she heard Peter’s voice, she was too excited to open the gate. She ran back into the house and said that Peter was standing there. 15 “You are crazy!” everyone told her. But she kept saying that it was Peter. Then they said, “It must be his angel.”

Here’s something funny, Peter was free because the church prayed. But when he knocks, they don’t believe it. They were praying for his release…they didn’t expect him to be released!

Listen to me today:

Even in our limited faith, God responds. Why? Because He’s not moved by our perfection, He’s moved by our pursuit of faith!

When we pray we need to know that things can happen. I believe that the Holy Spirit is actively working through believers when we pray.

Miracles and angelic intervention are not relics of the past. They’re part of the Spirit-filled life.

Prayer is not ritual; it is access to the living power of God. It connects us to HIS will. Faith and expectancy are central to Spirit-led living and answered prayer.

And here we get to my main hope today:

Stop Dreaming & Start Living

Or in different words: Wake Up and Walk in It

Acts 12:11 TPT

11 That’s when Peter realized that he wasn’t having a dream! He said to himself, “This is really happening! The Lord sent his angel to rescue me from the clutches of Herod and from what the Jewish leaders planned to do to me.”

When Peter finally woke up, he stepped fully into what God had done.

You know what I think? It’s time for the church to wake up.

Not just emotionally. Not just spiritually. But actively to walk in the open doors God has made through prayer.

It’s time for you to wake up and see all that God has done in your life to get you right here today! Your life is not an accident. Yes, you may have made mistakes, but God turns those into something that can be used for good.

You may be in crisis in some way today because of health, financial strains, spiritual attacks, or any number of things, but I’m encouraging you today PRAY. Ask for believers to pray. And to EXPECT God to do the impossible in your life. He can. You can walk into a new reality. It’s not a dream, God is working today.

We need to Stop dreaming about revival. Stop dreaming about breakthrough. Stop dreaming about freedom. Start living like it’s already here…because it is.

The gate is open. The chains are off.

Now get up, get dressed, and walk out into the purpose God’s already prepared for you.

“We can expect God to do the impossible if we obey and do the possible.” — Wiersbe

Call people to pray—not for someday but for today.

Invite those who feel "stuck in prison" to step out by faith.

Pray over leaders and intercessors to rise up with boldness.