TODAY IN THE WORD
In Waiting for Godot, the play by Samuel Beckett, two characters wait for Godot to arrive. Day after day, they anticipate his coming, and day after day he does not appear. The play ends with frustrated anticipation—they will return the next day, but the audience has the distinct unease that Godot will not show up.

In contrast, our story today depicts a group who hopes for someone to show up, but when he does, they don’t believe it’s really him!

King Herod realized that his popularity rating went up when he persecuted the followers of Jesus. He had executed James and intended to kill Peter after Passover. In response, “the church was earnestly praying to God for him” (v. 5). The night before the trial, an angel of God appeared to Peter and miraculously delivered him from Herod’s maximum-security prison.

We’ve seen dramatic announcements by the Lord or an angelic messenger several times in our study this month. Unlike others, though, Peter didn’t question or object. He first thought he was having a vision; when he was outside the prison walls alone, he realized that his body—not just his mind—had been freed (v. 11). He immediately went to the house of Mary, where he knew the church would be gathered to pray.

What follows is one of the great comic moments in the book of Acts. The servant girl, Rhoda, recognized Peter’s voice—but was so excited that she forgot to open the door! When she told the believers that their prayers were answered, they first accused her of being delusional and then concluded that perhaps Peter’s ghost was there following his execution.

Peter, who had just escaped from Herod’s prison, can’t get anyone to let him into Mary’s house! He continued knocking, and finally those assembled must have decided that either a ghost wouldn’t knock that loudly or that they couldn’t all be hearing things. They opened the door to find Peter standing there, their prayers answered in a way they had barely believed possible.

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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Zechariah prayed for years before God granted his request. Today we saw the church praying for Peter’s release, and their request was granted before their prayer meeting had even finished. We don’t know when God will resolve our requests or grant our petitions. We do know that His timing is perfect. He loves His people, and He hears the prayers of the righteous. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phil. 4:6; see Eph. 6:18).

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