(Acts 12:5–11)
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 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, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 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. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, “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.”
— Acts 12:5–11 (NIV)
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The Rescue You Don’t See
Peter had no idea that his rescue was happening while the angels were breaking him out of prison. Much like Peter, we often have no idea when God is rescuing us. We are oblivious to the higher realm—yet He rescues us time and time again. The church that was praying for Peter had no idea that their prayers had been answered until Peter was standing right at their door.
This makes me ask,
“How much can I trust what I see and hear when I am blind to an entire realm I can’t perceive?”
Because I can’t see the process of God working, I often wrongly assume He isn’t. I miss it. My eyes are drawn to what the world shows me instead—the noise, fear, and hopelessness that fill my screen. It’s exactly where the enemy wants my focus.
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Looking for God in the Wrong Places
So, how can I see evidence of God’s movement?
Well, it’s not on TV or social media.
If social media is my only indicator of the movement of God, I’m in trouble.
My best source for seeing His hand at work is to pay attention to the prayers I pray.
I must remember what I’ve asked for and follow through. Sometimes it may take years, even decades, to see an answer. Yet other times, God responds in an instant. I’ve seen both.
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A Moment on the Road
As I was traveling home from work on a wooded, winding, dangerous road, a motorcycle—one of those fast “crotch rockets”—flew past me on a blind curve. I imagined his demise and prayed for his safety. About a mile down the road, I saw that same motorcyclist stopped on the shoulder, frustratingly trying to start his stalled bike.
That moment stopped me.
Few prayers are answered in a minute. But that one was.
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Write It Down
Since most answers take time, how can I remember what I’ve prayed for with my poor memory?
Write it down. Check that list daily. Then record the answers.
You will be amazed!
Because we cannot see the actions God takes, never assume He isn’t responding. His timing is not our timing.
And just a word of advice: remember, these prayers are not wishes sent to a genie. They are conversations with the Creator. Prayer must always come from a humble, honest relationship with Him.
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Be Persistent
Scripture tells us to pray about everything.
So pray about small daily irritations as well as the big, life-changing events—and keep track of them. Day by day and year by year, you’ll begin to see results from many of those prayers.
Be persistent. Changing hearts—especially hearts with the freedom to reject truth—is a slow process. But God begins His work when we ask. He is always moving on our behalf.
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Watch and See
When Peter was set free, he didn’t realize it until he was already outside the gate.
You may not recognize your rescue until much later either.
But trust this—God is already working it out.
Watch and see.
