When she (Rhoda) recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”Acts 12:13 (NIV)
If Rhoda and I had lived in the same place at the same time I believe we would have been great friends. Rhoda achieved the ultimate honor by being mentioned by name in the Bible. She may not be as well known as Mary, the mother of Jesus, but I believe when you see her excitement and personality, she will capture your heart.
After Jesus returned to heaven He commissioned the disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. Even though they faced severe persecution, they were faithful to the task. In Acts we are told that Herod had already put James, the brother of John, to death with a sword and promised to do the same to Peter. Peter was in jail praying for God to free him or to give him the strength to die for the sake of the gospel. The new church converts called a prayer meeting to pray for Peter’s release. As the new converts prayed, Peter slept soundly in his chains. Not knowing God was already answering their prayers, they prayed earnestly asking God to release Peter.
In the meantime, an angel nudged Peter as he was lying on the floor in a dark cell chained between two men. Peter was in such a deep sleep that the light that illuminated the cell did not even wake him. (It’s hard to imagine that this is the same Peter who was so afraid of being identified with Jesus on the night before His crucifixion! Peter is now sleeping peacefully in a cell knowing he could face death at any minute for the cause of Jesus. What a difference it makes when you see the resurrected Christ!) After the angel freed Peter from his chains, he followed the angel out of prison and ran for his life. The events were so surreal that though he was wide–awake, Peter thought he was dreaming! Peter ran straight to the home of his praying friends.
This is where our friend Rhoda came into the picture. Rhoda heard someone knocking on the door and asked, “Who is there?” Peter responded, “Peter!” Rhoda was so excited that she ran into the prayer meeting shouting and announcing to the crowd that Peter was at the door. As much as I love Rhoda and her excitement, one would have to wonder why she didn’t just open the door! I wish I could have told her: “Rhoda, God has just answered your prayers so open the door for Peter because he just escaped from jail!” And as crazy as it is that Rhoda left Peter outside the gate, the response of Peter’s praying friends just about tops it all!! Remember, the new followers of Jesus were right in the middle of praying and asking God for Peter’s release when Rhoda announces that Peter is at the door. Instead of praising God for answered prayer, the prayer team told Rhoda that she had lost her mind. Yes, it’s true—the prayer group told Rhoda she was crazy!
Like me, you may want to ask, “Where was your faith, people?” Every Christian understands that when you pray, you pray believing God will answer, right? Or does God answer prayers that are lined up with His will regardless of whether we have faith or not? I think we often worry more about whether we have enough faith or if we are praying the right words instead of seeking the Father’s will. What I know is that that God got Peter out of jail that night and the people who were praying for Peter’s release were shocked. That leads me to believe that God got Peter out of jail because it was His will to do so and it had nothing to do with their faith or lack thereof. I also believe God used the prayer of these Christians as an opportunity to show them His power to do the impossible.
Jesus, who was very aware of what these Christians would be facing after He had ascended to Heaven, taught them the importance of prayer. The greatest example Jesus gave regarding prayer occurred the night before His crucifixion. He prayed until His will became the same as His Father’s will. Peter’s divine release from prison reminds us that we are to pray for a miracle when we pray. Prayer is much more about who we are praying to and not as much about how we pray.
Prayer gives us the opportunity to share our hearts and lift our eyes to the One who can do the impossible. Yes, Peter’s friends thought Rhoda had lost her mind; yet, when they opened the door and saw Peter they were in awe of God. Peter was in and out of jail often and was eventually martyred. But on this particular night God performed a miracle and encouraged the hearts of these new believers. You never know when God wants to do a miracle, and you just may be more shocked by how He chooses to display His power than how He chooses to answer your prayers. Like Rhoda, you may be so filled with joy by seeing the power of God that you leave your prayer request at the door! Indeed, this may be the very reason to pray! You just gotta love Rhoda!
Further Reading
Acts 12:1-19, Luke 22:40-46
