Prayer

Acts 12 records two completely different paths of James and Peter. Both were arrested by King Herod, an evil king, but one was executed and the other miraculously freed by the hand of angel. Why did God spare not both? He could, but He didn't. It is the will of the Father God of Christ Jesus, so we don't know the reason. The Scripture did not say why.

But one thing we can see in the text that there is no record of prayer in the case of James but found in that of Peter.

"Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church." (Acts 12:1-5 NKJV)

When the prayer was answered, surprisingly enough, they couldn't believe it until Peter kept knocking the door and insisted it was him. The prayer of the saints was in parallel with the promise of God and definitely answered without any notice of obstacles like the guards and chains and locks. Peter thought that he was in a vision.

Prayer is the expression of dependence on God and the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul exhorts the saints to pray continually without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We cannot live life without praying all the time forever.

Lord Jesus prayed all the time, relying on the Father in heaven all throughout the His messianic ministry.

“Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19 NKJV)

How much more should we?