Have you ever been nervously wrecked by fear and anxiety to a point that it robs you of sleep? If you haven't, then you have to tell me your secret! More than likely, we've all felt the immense weight of fear and anxiety at some level.
Maybe you remember a time when you were supposed to take a big test, make a big work presentation or preach or pray in church for the first time in the pulpit. But more than remembering that trying situation, you probably remember the sleepless night you had the night before. It almost seems like a given for anyone to have a sleepless night before a great moment of testing. But there was one person in the Bible who overcame such fear.
Acts 12:6 says, "Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison" (ESV).
Imagine this: You have just watched another apostle (James) executed, you're about to face a trial that could mean the end of your life, two guards are standing on both sides and you're chained in a cell. Anyone would absolutely be nerve-wracked.
But in the midst of all of that, the Bible tells us that Peter was sleeping. Like a baby! What is it that brings such rest—not just external but even internal—in the midst of such great trials? We know what the answer is. It's faith, but what draws that kind of faith?
Acts 12:5 tells us this: "So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church" (ESV). From the amazing power of prayer and petition comes the ability to experience God's peace. It's not so much the act of praying, but the heart stance we have when we pray. Often when faced with a trying situation, we don't always think of prayer as our most powerful tool. But coming to God in prayer really speaks this way: That even when I am out of options, I can turn instead to God to extend my options.
That's exactly what happened with Peter, and while Christians were praying for him, God was appointing an angel to send down and take Peter out of prison. The power of faith comes not in our ability to pray earnestly or to pray the right way, but to pray with the right heart, believing that even when we are out of options, God is not.
Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (ESV). Jesus wants to give us peace and rest, but we must also do our part and come to Him and believe that He is sufficient.
