Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from all that the Jewish people expected.” When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many had assembled and were praying. Acts 12:11-12 HCSB
When I began full-time ministry in the church 40 years ago most churches held “Prayer Meeting” on Wednesday nights. The purpose was to gather to pray for the sick, the lost, and the ministries of the church. There would usually be a short devotional shared, but the bulk of the time was spent in prayer. Today many churches do not gather on Wednesday nights and those that do often have discipleship classes and Bible studies without the option of a prayer meeting. There seems to be very little emphasis on prayer.
Many of the believers had gathered at the house of John Mark’s mother. Evidently she had a room that would accommodate a large group of people. They had gathered to pray for Peter and his release. I would imagine that a lot of praying was done by a lot of people. God heard their prayers and answered them by sending an angel to rescue Peter from prison.
Challenge: How much time do you spend each day in prayer presenting your requests before God? He is interested in what is happening in your life and wants to hear from you. Spend some time in prayer right now thanking Him for the opportunity to share your concerns and requests.