I used to have some prayer partners who were mighty prayer warriors. They prayed earnestly and often saw God's answers unfold right before their eyes. Sometimes when we got an answer to a specific prayer, we would have to laugh because we were surprised when the answer came. Not by what the answer was necessarily...but because we had gotten an answer to start with.
After reminding ourselves one day that we had indeed prayed for an answer, one of my friends asked, "Why do we bother to be surprised?" That question became a watchword for us as we saw God answer prayers and we reminded ourselves that we had indeed prayed for an answer and shouldn't be surprised when God gave one.
Today's reading in Acts 12 shows a similar response to an answered prayer. Peter has been taken prisoner and the church is "earnestly praying to God for him" (verse 5). The night before he was to stand trial, an angel of the Lord appeared in the prison and set Peter free. He returned to a home where he knew the church would be praying and knocked on the door.
When the servant girl answered, she was so startled that she left Peter standing on the door step and ran to tell everyone that Peter was in fact standing at the door. And they didn't believe her. In fact they told her she must be out of her mind.
In their defense I don't know what they were praying for. Maybe they were praying for it all to end quickly and painlessly for Peter. Maybe they were so distraught that they weren't even sure what they were asking for. But scripture is very clear that they were praying for Peter and it's probably a pretty safe bet that they were praying for some type of deliverance.
And God answered.
And they were surprised.
How often are you surprised by God answering your prayers? Do you expect Him to do so? If not, then why bother praying. But if so, why bother being surprised when He answers?
- Holly Barrett
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