The lesson is to pray with genuine expectation and belief, not doubt, because God answers prayers.
The believers prayed earnestly for Peter's release, yet when the angel brought him to the door, they refused to believe it was really him. Les uses this to highlight the inconsistency of asking while doubting. Believers should pray expecting God to act, not as a mere ritual.
Acts 12:5-17 — Peter's miraculous release from prison and the believers' disbelief at the answer to their prayers.
In Acts 12, Peter is imprisoned by Herod, and the church prays earnestly for him. An angel appears, releases Peter from chains, and leads him out of prison. Peter goes to the house where believers are gathered and knocks at the door. A servant girl, Rhoda, recognizes his voice, but in her joy she runs to tell the others instead of opening the door. The believers tell her she is mad, but she insists it is Peter. When they finally see him, they are astonished. The Bible records that Peter then explained how the Lord had brought him out of prison (Acts 12:5-17).
Les uses Peter's deliverance to illustrate that believers often pray without believing. In the clips, he notes that the believers were praying fervently, but when God answered, they couldn't accept it. He draws a parallel to modern believers who pray but don't expect change. He emphasizes that God answers prayer and that we should pray with confidence, not just repeat words.
Les explains that even though the believers were genuinely praying, they still thought Peter's release was impossible. They had been praying for the chains to be removed, but when an answer came, their faith was not ready to receive it. This shows the human tendency to pray without expecting God to move.
Les points out that believers should approach God with the confidence that He can and will answer. He stresses that prayer is not just a ritual; it is a request to a God who acts. Believers should pray with anticipation and be ready to see God's hand move, just as Peter's arrival at the gate was an answer to their prayers.
Why Israel Was Blinded — Acts 13 & Romans 11 Explained
of Tarsus. That was back in chapter 8. And then in chapter 9, we had the conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus. And immediately God sent him out into the desert in Arabia where He's going to reveal the doctrines of grace over what we think is a three-year period of time. And then during that time, God commissions Peter to go up to the house of Cornelius.
Was Cornelius Really Saved? Acts 10 Explained Verse by Verse
Chapter 11, where Peter has already been up to Caesarea, back down to Jerusalem, and he's sharing all the events with his fellow Jews, who are believers, down to Jerusalem. And in that rehearsing of what took place at Caesarea, look what he says. Verse 12, "...the Spirit," Peter says, "...
Was Cornelius Really Saved? Acts 10 Explained Verse by Verse
Here it is. Peter said that the angel had said, "...who shall tell thee," that is Cornelius, "...who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house," what's the verb? Future. They weren't then yet. But the angel says, "...call for Peter, and he will come and tell you the words that you need, so that you can be saved.
Was Cornelius Really Saved? Acts 10 Explained Verse by Verse
Arise therefore, and get thee down and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them. Now like I've asked my classes over the years, if it had not been for such a supernatural environment, the trance, the men at the gate, the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking, do you think Peter would have gone to Caesarea? No way. No way. Because as far as Peter was concerned, Gentiles were still dogs.
The 3 Parts of the Law & Why They Don't Save You
And so, you know the story, how that while the men were coming down from Caesarea to Joppa to get Peter, God gives Peter a vision to prepare him to be ready to go long back, otherwise he'd have never gone. Peter would have never gone up to that Gentile home had God not taken drastic measures.
Was Cornelius Really Saved? Acts 10 Explained Verse by Verse
And it was done thrice, or three times, and the vessel was received up again into heaven. Now while Peter, verse 17, while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men who were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house and stood at the gate. You know what our God is? He's a God of intricate timing. The timing was perfect.
Why Did the Holy Spirit Fall BEFORE Baptism? Acts 10
That's the staff. So we're just small potatoes, you know. But my, how the Lord is blessing the tapes everywhere. We've got classes starting all over the country using the tapes. And now the books are catching on. And again, we like to let our television audience know that books 16 all the way back to one are available. Just let us know and we'll get them in the mail to you.
Was Cornelius Really Saved? Acts 10 Explained Verse by Verse
Peter is going to be prepared here for something that's going to take place 12 years in the future, but it doesn't bring it out here, and we won't catch it until we get to Acts chapter 15. So now Cornelius is being approached by an angel, and first I want to show you in verse 2 what kind of a man Cornelius was.
Acts 12:7: And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
This shows the supernatural intervention that answered the prayers of the church.
Acts 12:16: But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.
The believers' astonishment reveals their lack of faith despite prayer.
Les teaches that we should pray with faith and not be surprised when God answers. He uses Peter's release as an example of God's power to respond to prayer, and he warns against a praying without believing.
The story shows that even believers can doubt God's answers to prayer. Les uses it to emphasize that we must pray with confidence, not with a mindset that God won't act.
Watch the Teaching: Why Israel Was Blinded — Acts 13 & Romans 11 Explained