Home Bible Study: Surprised by Answered Prayers

Throughout history, God’s people have faced intense persecution at the hands of dictators. The persecution can be physical, financial, emotional, even costing people their lives.

What the dictators did not realize was the secret weapon God’s people possess. The secret weapon is prayer. Something supernatural happens when God’s people pray.

Prayer is not an overwhelming topic. It is simply humanity communicating with God. When we pray, we speak to God and God speaks to us.

In times of difficulty, God’s people must pray. However, there are times when God answers, and we are surprised by the way He chooses to come through for us.

In prayer, it is our responsibility to bring our needs to God. Then we must wait on Him and let Him answer in the way He sees fit.

In this study, we will look at a story in Acts 12. God answered the prayers of the church, but He surprised them in how He decided to answer.

What is biggest prayer you have ever prayed?

Has God every surprised you in how He answered your prayers?

Persecution

Acts 12:1–4 NKJV

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.

By this point in the New Testament, many people came to Christ and the church grew. With this numerical and spiritual growth, persecution came against God’s people.

The story begins with Herod seeking to gain political favor. Therefore, he arrested James and killed him. This was the same James who was in Jesus’s inner circle.

He was with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, when Jesus raised Jairus’s daughter from the dead, and he was close to Jesus when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Now, he was one of the first of the apostles to die. This satisfied those who hated the church. Therefore, Herod arrested Peter. The timing of Peter’s arrest was political.

Many Jews were in Jerusalem for Passover. They heard of Peter’s arrest and knew that Herod would kill him after the holiday weekend was over.

Jesus promised the enemy would come to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). This promise came to pass, but Jesus was on their side. Likewise, the enemy wants to stop us, but God is with us.

How are Christians facing persecution in 2020?

How has you personally experienced persecution?

Prayer

Acts 12:5–9 NKJV

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.

Everett Harrison described, “The circumstances surrounding [Peter’s] imprisonment are sketched in simple but dramatic fashion—the power of an earthly monarch pitted against the power of prayer to the Almighty.”

Herod underestimated the church’s commitment to pray. Knowing Peter’s life lay in the balance, they called on God to help and to accomplish His will.

While the church prayed, Peter was surrounded by armed guards to make sure he did not escape. Herod was extra careful, for Peter had escaped prison twice (Acts 4:3; 5:17-23).

Peter seemed unworried. While in prison he slept until God sent an angel. The angel loosened Peter’s chains and they left. The guards did not see what happened.

Peter did not even realize what happened was real. He supposed it was a vision. Yet God answered the prayers of the church for they were in constant.

Their prayers were not half-hearted or insincere. They truly believed God was their only answer. Some versions tranlsate “constant prayer” with “earnestly praying.”

Herod did all he could to ensure Peter would remain in jail. But the prayers of God’s people brought supernatural results.

Can you describe a time when you or someone you know prayed earnestly?

Why does God want us to have a constant prayer life?

Surprise

Acts 12:11–14 NKJV

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.

After coming to his, Peter realized what happened to him. God sent an angel to release him from prison and to save his life. Peter then went to the house where the church gathered for prayer.

The owner of the house was named Mary, the mother of John Mark, the author of the Gospel of Mark. She hosted many prayer meetings in her home.

It was commonplace for the church to gather together in prayer, but this time God surprised them in the way He answered their prayers.

As they prayed, Peter knocked on the door and a servant girl named Rhoda went to the door. She heard Peter’s voice and knew he had been released from prison. Instead of hoping the door, she ran to tell the others who were praying.

Their answer shows how surprised they were by the way God answered their prayers.

Acts 12:15–17 NKJV

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.

They couldn’t believe it, how could Peter who was in prison stand knocking at the door. They accused Rhoda of being out of her mind. But she was insistent.

Finally, they opened the door and saw Peter. To their surprise, God sent an angel and released him from prison, all because they prayed earnestly and constantly.

But even in a state of constant prayer, the Lord challenged their faith in answering their prayers in a way they could not imagine.

How has God surprised you when you have prayed?

Share a testimony of the greatest miracle you or your family has experienced?

Challenge

James 5:16 NKJV

16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

No matter what we face we have to remember the power in our prayer. The New Living Translation of James 5:16 tells us, “the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”

When we face opposition, discouragement, or any difficulty, we must go to God in prayer. Then we trust Him to answer us in the way He sees fit.

Our job is to pray and trust that He will do His job and answer our prayers. It is not for us to decide how God will answer us, just believe that He will.

What are some struggles you have in praying?

What are some experiences you have had with God in prayer?

What changes can you or your family make in your prayer life?

Prayer

Discuss specific prayer requests you have.

Take turns praying, giving every family member a turn to pray out loud.

Give God thanks for how He has answered your prayer and how He will surprise us with continued answered prayer.