Death and Deliverance

Pastor Dave Monreal, Lead Pastor

Acts chapter 12 tells two fascinating stories of believers suffering for their faith and a church in constant prayer for protection and deliverance. In Acts 12:6-19 we read the story of Peter thrown in prison and the church began to pray. Unbeknownst to them, an angel had opened the prison door and ushered Peter to freedom. He thought he was seeing a vision but finally came to himself and realized he had been rescued when the cool night air hit him.

He immediately runs to the church meeting in Mary’s house and knocks on the door. Rhoda answers it and, hearing Peter, runs to the others who were praying for his release. She is so excited she leaves Peter outside! On top of that, they don’t believe her. Only after Peter kept pounding on the door and they open the door do they finally believe it was really him. Before they opened the door, they thought it was his angel.

Why did they not believe it was Peter? Weren’t they just praying for his safety and deliverance? Perhaps some of their unbelief was because of what is recorded just prior to this event. Right before Peter was thrown in prison, another disciple named James was beheaded. Hadn’t they prayed for James’ safety too? Surely they had! Maybe his death caused them to lose confidence in answered prayer.

A different James, the half-brother of Jesus, writes, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16) This verse immediately follows the teaching that those who are suffering should pray and those who are sick should call for the elders for anointing while confessing their sins. Our prayers are powerful and effective. God hears our prayers and acts in response to our prayers according to his will. We pray in faith not knowing what God is doing or the purpose(s) why he has allowed this affliction.

Sometimes God heals us and sometimes he allows us to stay in our struggle. Both are answers to prayer for those who are righteous asking in faith. Both are for God’s glory and our good. Sometimes God allows a believer to die for his faith and sometimes God opens prison doors for him to be free. We pray in faith telling God our heart’s desire and trusting him to do what is best. God does not promise the believer complete health and full safety this side of heaven in this fallen world. But he promises to be with us and work out his will in answer to our prayers.

I have a friend I went to college with who has multiple stage 4 cancers and the doctors have given him no hope for survival. Presently he is taking medication to slow the growth of the cancers. When those fail, they will move to chemotherapy which is less effective. When those fail, he will move to hospice. I pray for direct, complete healing. I pray for God, in his mercy, to heal him. I know that unless we are alive when Christ returns, we are all going to die. God will answer my prayer even if it is, “No, it is his time to come home to heaven.” But until then, I continue to pray in faith.