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Prayer for Peter in prison

Peter, the prison escape, Rhoda and the prayer meeting.
Contributed by Aya & Nicole Velasquez
Story also available on our translated websites: German, Hindi
1
King Herod arrested some of the Christians in Jerusalem, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. – Slide 1
2
When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he decided to seize Peter as well. <br/>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. – Slide 2
3
Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. – Slide 3
4
The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. – Slide 4
5
He was bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. – Slide 5
6
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. ‘Quick, get up!’ he said. – Slide 6
7
The chains fell off Peter’s wrists. <br/>Then the angel said to him, ‘Put on your clothes and sandals.’ And Peter did so. <br/>‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,’ the angel told him. – Slide 7
8
Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening. He thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. – Slide 8
9
When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. <br/>Peter exclaimed, ‘Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.’ – Slide 9
10
Peter went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. <br/>Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. – Slide 10
11
When she recognised Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, ‘Peter is at the door!’ – Slide 11
12
‘You’re out of your mind,’ they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, ‘It must be his angel.’ – Slide 12
13
But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. – Slide 13
14
Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. – Slide 14
15
‘Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,’ he said, and then he left for another place. – Slide 15
16
In the morning, there was a large commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. – Slide 16
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Slide 17