The story so far
Peter has recounted the story of Cornelius and his household receiving the Holy Spirit to the Jews in Jerusalem. They accept that the gift of the Holy Spirit is for the Gentiles. The Good News continues to spread.
Reading: Acts 12
The chapter begins with King Herod persecuting the church, murdering a believer called James and then capturing and imprisoning Peter.
Whilst the church is ‘earnestly praying for him’ Peter is visited by an angel and spectacularly broken out of prison! His chains fall off, he doesn’t wake the guards he’s been sleeping between, the angel leads him past the sentries and two lots of guards without being seen and an iron gate opens without it being touched!
Peter declares in verse 11 ‘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.’
Peter knows that he just experienced a miraculous breakthrough!
We can feel captive, circumstances can try to keep us restricted and cause us to live our lives in fear, but God has the key to unlock every chain and obstacle that would try to stand in the way of us going to a new level.
Like Peter, we need to trust God and know without a doubt that God can do it, he’s in the business of breakthroughs!
If you’re waiting for your breakthrough, look at Peter; before his supernatural encounter we find Peter sleeping in the prison between the guards! This doesn’t seem like a man who is imprisoned and on the eve of his execution. He had already heard and maybe seen a fellow believer executed by King Herod, and yet, he’s not anxious, but resting. What a sign of his trust in God, I reckon he knows God has got the situation under control and can sleep easy.
What a challenge for us, to handover our situations so fully into God’s hands that we don’t worry.
What breakthrough do you need to release and trust God for?
Maybe it’s that thing that is keeping you awake at night?
What causes anxious thoughts?
Identify it and hand it to God, trust him for the breakthrough. You’ve got a new level to go to!
Peter had a story of victory and it became his testimony!
I’m believing that as you step out in faith, trusting God for greater things and seeing breakthrough in your life, you’re going to go to a whole new level and have your own testimony of victory to share with those in your world!
Contributed by Ps Madeleine