One of the most fascinating aspects of the Christian life is prayer. Every day believers ask God to accomplish things that only He can do.
We pray for prodigals to repent and believe the gospel. We pray for broken relationships to be restored. We pray for missionaries serving in dangerous places. We pray for persecuted believers to stand firm. We pray for revival in our churches and spiritual awakening in our nation.
In short, we regularly ask God to intervene in God-like ways.
And yet, sometimes when the Almighty answers our prayers according to His all-wise and sovereign will, we are almost shocked by His response.
The believers gathered in Acts 12 provide a memorable example. King Herod had arrested Peter and placed him under heavy guard. The situation appeared hopeless. Humanly speaking, Peter's future looked bleak. Yet the church did exactly what Christians should do in moments of crisis.
They prayed.
Luke tells us that "prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God" (Acts 12:5).
Then God did the impossible.
An angel appeared in Peter's prison cell. Chains fell from his hands. Guards were bypassed. Prison doors opened. Peter walked out a free man.
What happened next is almost humorous. Peter arrived at the very house where believers were gathered for prayer. When Rhoda recognized his voice at the gate, she was so excited that she forgot to let him in. She ran to tell everyone that Peter was outside.
Their response? "You are out of your mind!" (Acts 12:15).
The church had been praying fervently for Peter's release, yet they struggled to believe God had actually answered their prayers.
If we are honest, we often find ourselves in the same position.
We pray. We ask. We seek. We knock.
Yet when God answers, we sometimes react with surprise.
Like the father in Mark 9, we find ourselves saying, "I do believe; help my unbelief."
