Stretched: earnest, earned prayer Acts 12

today’s word… Acts 12

before the Word, a thought…

I have a dear friend, Adam, whose father died a week past. 17 March was the year anniversary Adam, himself, almost passed at 34 years of age due to cancer. I spoke to him on the 20th of March and he said he felt ‘locked’ up…

At times I feel the same… at times I am sure others feel this virus has ‘locked’ them up; , and I am sure that you have felt, if you are not at this moment, feeling this also…

In the passage below Peter is ‘locked’ in prison by Herod. What is his only way out of lock up? Earnest prayer; not prayer, but earnest thankful and heartfelt prayer

‘he ( Herod) 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.’

Earnest in the Greek (ektenos) means to be stretched. Stretched as in being away from others, friends and family, lovers and fellow workers… stretched not in reaching outward, but items opposite: being contracted, collapsed, reverse stretch into a tight space: locked up.

The way out of another’s stretching, whether yourself or an emotion; whether a situation or a virus is to reach ever outward with prayer.

Pray without ceasing; with zeal; emotion and love; with all your heart and soul and might.

This is how Jesus prayed on his cross- arms stretched out; with a last breath preforming one last miracle: forgiving in prayer to his father those who killed him not knowing what they were doing…

pray as Jesus, stretch