Deliverance Through Prayer

But now a word to Christians: You are interested in sinners, you know they are in the darkness, you understand that they are captives of. Satan, bound by the chains of their sins, guarded, and under condemnation, and yet you have a resource, have you not? The people of God offered prayer to God continually for Peter’s deliverance. O Christian, be encouraged when you pray for those in bondage. The ear of God is open to your cry. There are dear boys and girls who are still unsaved, and you realize they are in the dark; you long that they should be brought to the light. Keep on praying for them! As the saints prayed for Peter, God wrought; as we pray for sinners, God saves today!
What happened as they prayed for Peter? Seven things took place.
First, as they were praying, a messenger from God came to Peter. You know how often God does just that very thing. Sometimes he sends a human messenger, sometimes a word from the Book, sometimes conviction by the Holy Spirit. Peter was sound asleep, and suddenly there appeared a messenger. The angel of the Lord is able to awaken, to arouse, to give deliverance to those who desire to be delivered.
Second, a light shone in the prison. It is the truth of God that dispels the darkness. “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psa. 119:130). The messenger came, and the light shone! O unsaved sinner, have you heard the gospel message, the message of light? You say in your darkness, “I cannot see; I cannot understand,” Listen “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Tim. 1:15). Does that not give you a little light? “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). This is God’s own Word. May it bring light to your darkened mind.
Third, the angel smote Peter on the side. He was a real “Billy” Sunday. Some folk do not like “Billy’s” abrupt way, but in this case the situation was desperate, and the angel said, “Wake up,” as he smote him, and Peter wakened to find the angel pounding him. Some of us remember how the Spirit laid hold on us, and aroused us from our deathlike sleep. The Word came home with convicting power, and we were saved. I would to God that you, unsaved one, might be smitten by the convicting power of the Spirit of God, that you might realize your lost condition, and your need of a Saviour; and that you would turn to Him who awakens, and be delivered.
Fourth, there was no resistance on Peter’s part. The message came, “Get up!” and Peter obeyed immediately. Why, you know, a little while before, that word would have meant nothing to him; but now he is awake. When men and women are awakened, the message comes: “Believe the Word; arise, He calleth thee.”
Fifth, then his chains fell off. Do you want to be delivered from your chains? Believe the Word! I have a friend who years ago was a victim of that dreadful habit of smoking and eating opium. He had fallen into that vice when very young, and the thing had gotten such a grip on him that he could not break it. At last, at twenty-two years of age, he was such a wreck that he had made up his mind that he might as well end it all by suicide, for there was no hope for him, But one night in Fresno, California, he was going down the street, crying out, “What a fool I have been to form a habit like this that I cannot free myself from,” when he heard a little group of Salvation Army folk singing,
“He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His Wood can make the vilest dean,
His blood avails for me.”
He said, “What’s that?” They sang it again. That poor young fellow stood there trembling, for he had hardly strength enough to stand erect. “I wonder if it is true — ‘the vilest’ — that’s me!” and he followed them into their hall. When they invited sinners to come to Christ, he went forward and knelt at the penitent bench, but he was so loathsome that they said, “Oh, he is too far gone.” However, they were faithful, and knelt with him and pointed him to Christ. By and by, as he arose, he said, “I will trust Him,” and went away. One of them said to another, “You better go and see if he has any lodging tonight; he has no will power, there is no hope for him, if he gets away.” Somebody did take an interest in him; he got him a lodging, and helped him in other ways. When he put his trust in Christ, he was delivered, and he has often testified since, “I am free; Christ has delivered me; I never even had a struggle to get rid of that habit.” In two weeks you would not have known him. He was a new creature, physically, mentally, and every way. Whatever your sins are, come to Christ, trust in Him, and find deliverance. Peter’s bonds fell off; he was freed from his chains — you too may be free.
Sixth, “Get your things on,” the angel said, and he dressed him up. That is what the Lord does. Off with the prison garments, on with the new garments. Then they went through one door and another, and finally through the great iron door. If Peter had gone through that great iron door in his chains, he would have gone through to die. If he were taken through in his fetters, he would go out to be executed. And if you go through the door of death in your sins, you go through to your doom. Peter might well have trembled as he passed through that door, if he still had his chains on; but as he drew near, the door opened of its own accord, and he went through as a free man. A believer in the Lord Jesus can say, “I have died already; I am free!” You may ask, “How can you say that?” “Well, we have been crucified with Christ; we went through death with Him!”
Seventh, then Peter said, “I must hunt up some place where I can find some Christians who are interested in me.” They were all having a prayer meeting in Mary’s house, praying for Peter’s deliverance. The Lord had answered and he was delivered, but they were still praying. A little girl came out in response to Peter’s knock, and she got so excited when she heard his voice, that she forgot to open the door. She rushed back, and said, “You don’t need to pray any more; Peter is outside, he is at the door!”
“Nonsense,” they practically said, “God doesn’t do anything as quickly as that.”
Is that not just like us? Sometimes we pray and pray, and when God answers, we can hardly believe it. But she insisted, “I know he is there.”
“It is his ghost,” they said, “he has gone through in his chains, and that is his ghost.”
“Well,” she replied, “there is no use arguing; come and see!” And to the door they went where Peter continued knocking!
What an illustration this is, dear unsaved one, of God’s salvation. Have you seen your own picture? Have you been asleep in your sins? Are you in darkness and guarded by Satan? Do you want to be delivered? Listen to the Word of God, and do not be angry if the Spirit of God has to smite you. Believe the Word, act upon it, and you will enter into the fullness of blessing. You will be delivered from the chains of your sins.