2022 (1st) Bible Study w. Pastor Herndon & Pastor Ashley "Praying With Expectation"

Scripture Acts chapter 12

The New International Version Chapter 12

12 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.

8 Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”

12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.

18 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.

Herod’s Death

Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. 20 He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.

21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22 They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” 23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

24 But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.

Introduction (vs 1-4 )

King Herod was used by GOD to fulfil Acts 1:8 Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the utter most parts of the earth

Ch. 5:12-16 the church is growing exponentially! Prayer has preceded this rapid growth

AND up until now the church has thrived off of Unity + Prayer & The Power of the Holy Ghost

AND HERE IN ACTS 5:12-16 THE SUPERNATURAL ACCURS .. THERE’S THIS SUPERNATURAL HEALING MINISTRY THAT BREAKS OUT … AND THE CHURCH IS AT THE FOR FRONT OF IT

BUT IT’S NOT UNTIL WE GET TO ACTS 8:1 THAT GOD RELEASES THE LAST KEY INGREDIENT TO MOBILIZE HIS CHURCH

IN ACTS 8:1 IT WASN’T PRAYER, IT WASN’T UNITY , IT WASN’T THE HOLY GHOST THAT PUT THE CHURCH ON THE MOVE

BUT CAN I SUGGEST TO YOU THAT IT WAS PERSECUTION

AND SOME OF YOU GONNA HAVE TO REEVALUATE HOW YOU LOOK AT TROUBLE IN YOUR LIFE

BECAUSE IF TRUTH BE TOLD IF GOD HADN’T ALLOWED PERSECUTION OR TROUBLE TO HIT YOUR LIFE .... YOU WOULDN’T HAVE PRAYED LIKE YOU DO NOW, YOU WOULDN’T SEEK HIS FACE LIKE YOU DO NOW .... YOU WOULDN’T BE AS FAITHFUL ...

HERE’S THE REVELATION .... JUST BECAUSE YOU ANOINTED .......

DOESN’T MEAN YOUR EXEMPT FROM TROUBLE

THEY ANOINTED AND GOT TROUBLE BUT IT’S THERE TROUBLE THAT CHANGES THE TRAJECTORY OF THE CHURCH BECAUSE NOW THEY CLAIMING NEW TERRITORY

AND THOSE OF YOU AT HOME AUGHT TO SEE YHOUR TROUBLE DIFFERENTLY

CAN SOMEBODY HELP ME PREACH THIS AND SAY IT WAS GOOD FOR ME TO BE AFFLICTED BECAUSE NOW....

BUT I’M ALMOST THERE

HERE’S THE INTERESTING THING ...

GOD NOT ONLY USES PERSECUTION TO HELP MOBILIZE THE CHURCH

BUT TO REVEAL TRUE MOTIVES

IN CH. 12:1-4 PETER THE CHURH’S LEADER GET’S LOCKED UP

IMAGINE THAT, … HE WHO HAS THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM (MAT. 16:19) FINDS HIMSELF LOCKE UP.....

ACTS 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him

EARNESTLY MEANS - IN THE SPIRIT OF PERSEVERANCE AND WITH EXPECTATION

HERE’S THE CAVIAT ....

VS (5) PRESUPPOSES THAT THEY PRAYING HARD AND THEY BELIEVE WHAT THEY PRAYING FOR

BUT WHEN ACCORDING TO VS 13-16

AFTER GOD MIRACULOUSLY DELIVERED PETER FROM JAIL AND HE SHOWED UP AT THE DOOR WHERE THE CHURCH WAS SUPPOSEDLY ENGAGED IN ERNEST PRAYER FOR HIM ( TWO AMAZING THINGS HAPPEN )

RHODA IS OVERWHELMED WITH DISBELIEF ( her response after she heard Peter’s voice, solidifies that she believed. In vs. 14 she told the rest of the church “Peter’s At The Door” )

THE REST OF THE CHRCH IS OVERTAKEN BY IT (There response in vs 15 was “your out of your mind “ They even created a scenario to prove that it couldn’t be Peter at the door “ )

Here’s the problem ...

They had put more stock in what was trying to hinder them than they did in there help (Psalm 121:1-2)

Herod killed James

locked Peter up

but see Herod Pharoah nor the devil .......are able to move on there own recognizance ...... they have been given permission by GOD

and see there comes a time where by you and i must move from telling GOD about our problems .... to telling our problems about GOD

13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

Principles on Praying with Expectation

Praying with expectation Requires Faith ...

Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

if we don’t have a word to guide us we tend to pray out of our emotions

and as we see in Acts 12:13-16 our prayers are devoid of belief

Proverbs 25:11 Timely advice is lovely,

like golden apples in a silver basket.

The word stimulates faith

There is a specific... (tailor made word for my situation)

When Peter prays for the lame man in Acts 3:6 He prays with a word ..

the lame man strategically had himself positioned at the Beautiful gate daily ( where the rich and affluent worshippers entered) so that he could beg for alms

but when Peter prays for him...... he prays with a word from the LORD

he prays according to John 14:13 which declares........

John 14:13 LEB

And whatever you ask in my name, I will do this, in order that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

He says i don’t have silver , I don’t have gold but.......... i believe God for your healing in Jesus name

and he’ll do it for me

GOD answers according to his WORD, WILL, WORKS

​Examples of biblical characters praying with expectation

Mathew 21:21-22(kjv) Jesus Curses the fig tree

21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

The Faith of a Roman Officer (Mathew 8:5-13)

Mathew 8:5 When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”

7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”

(i wish i had time to deal with when GOD doesn’t answer the way you want… because all he asked was to heal his servant and Jesus trying to go home with him)

8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. ( he respects holiness ) ( He know he ain’t got time ...to get his house consecrated before Jesus comes ..... and since he in prayer ,… he gets it right with God and says I can’t have you coming unexpectedly … it’s botles of CASAMIGOS, DUCE, AND HENNY ALL OVER THE PLACE ...

Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.

(this denotes strong belief and trust in GOD and his word)

9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”

( he understands the power and authority of Christ according to Luke 10:19

Luke 10:19 LEB

Behold, I have given you the authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will ever harm you.

Ephesians 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! 11 And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. 12 But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13 Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.

But they need one more Key ingredient to mobilize them and that’s Persecution