by Pastor Rich Carlson

A lot of times, when something or someone changes, opposition comes along with it. Herod had started persecuting Christians; he had James killed and others arrested. When he found that this pleased the Jews, he continued, arresting Peter right before the Passover! So the church members began praying for him.

I like that quality about the church—that we pray for each other. Just stop to think how important that can be.

You probably know the rest of the Bible story. Peter was in prison, watched over by sixteen Roman guards. Then an angel came in the night and woke him up. Peter’s chains fell off his wrists and ankles, and the prison gates opened by themselves. Peter thought he was dreaming until he found himself out in the street walking beside an angel for a block, and then the angel disappeared. Peter went to the house where the prayer meeting was being held, and the people were so shocked that they almost didn’t let him in!

All that happened because people were praying for Peter, and God answered their prayers.

Sometimes we think our prayers are not answered, but the truth is that God may have answered our prayer in a different or unexpected way. This I do believe: when God’s people pray, His power becomes evident if we look for it.

Rich Carlson is campus chaplain at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. "God is Faithful" is adapted from the email devotionals he writes regularly for the Union College family. Rich enjoys filling his life with God, his family, and especially his five grandchildren.