Prayer Without Ceasing
A Sermon on Acts 12:5
Scripture
5Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
Sermon Description
What is the church’s greatest weapon? Some may say organizations or church events, but Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues in his sermon on Acts 12:5 that “our ultimate weapon is that of prayer.” The church has been through hard times since its existence, and Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes that it is helpful to realize how the church has handled it in the past. In verse five, the answer is provided as to how the early church handled persecution — their prayer was made without ceasing. Dr. Lloyd-Jones seeks to deal with two aspects of prayer from Acts 12: “How does God answer prayer?” and “When does God answer prayer?” First, concerning the text, Peter was in prison during the last night of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and therefore could not be put to death, but would be executed the next day. In light of this, Dr. Lloyd-Jones takes note of Peter’s ability to sleep— it was a gift from God. Also, God answered through the miraculous, as can clearly be seen by his escape. Dr. Lloyd-Jones challenges the believer to have faith and expect answers to prayers. Second, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues from this text that God sometimes waits until the last moment to answer prayer in order to test and train.
Sermon Breakdown
- Herod persecuted the early church without reason. The opposition to Christianity is often irrational and not based on reason or understanding.
- Herod was sensitive to public opinion and applause. He proceeded to arrest Peter to please the Jews. Dictators and tyrants claim to be independent but often care deeply about public opinion.
- Herod took elaborate precautions to guard Peter, showing he feared the power of the church despite seeing them as helpless. The enemies of the church fear its power and truth.
- The church prayed without ceasing for Peter. Prayer is the only weapon and hope the church has, though it is difficult.
- God first answered prayer by giving Peter peace to sleep soundly despite facing likely death the next day. God can give us peace in terrifying circumstances.
- God then answered prayer through a miracle, sending an angel to free Peter. God works miracles and the impossible. Even Peter could hardly believe the miracle.
- The praying church also could not believe Peter had been freed, showing how God answers prayer in overwhelming ways. We must have faith to expect the impossible.
- God sometimes delays answering prayer to test us, train us, and make the defeat of our enemies more complete. He allowed Herod's boasting before freeing Peter.
- God allowed Herod to boast of destroying the church before freeing Peter to humble and humiliate him. The church has often seemed nearly defeated before God revives it in victory.
- We must believe in God, expect the impossible, and see it happen. Without faith, there is no hope of improvement in the church.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Acts 12
What did Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the main weapon of the church during times of persecution?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasized that prayer is the main weapon of the church during times of persecution. He stated, "The christian church at a time like this has but one final resort, one implement that she can use... Our ultimate weapon is that of prayer." He criticized modern approaches of holding conferences and creating programs as ineffective, saying, "Prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. And this is my message. This is the thing we must do."
How did Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the character of opposition to the Christian faith?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones described the opposition to the Christian faith as irrational and based on malice rather than reason. Using the example of Herod from Acts 12, he explained that the persecution had "no reason whatsoever" as Christians "had done nothing at all to offend him or anybody else." He noted that opposition is "not based on reason, it's not based on understanding, it's based on malice, evil thoughts and feelings, a mere destructive instinct." He added that those who oppose Christianity are often secretly afraid of it, which is why they take elaborate precautions against it.
According to the sermon, in what two ways does God typically answer prayer?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, God answers prayer in two primary ways: First, by giving peace in difficult circumstances (as seen in Peter sleeping soundly before his expected execution), and second, through miraculous intervention (as seen in the angel freeing Peter from prison). He emphasized that God's peace "passeth all understanding" and allows believers to have rest even in terrifying situations. Regarding miracles, he stated, "Christianity is miraculous from beginning to end... Our God is the God of the impossible. Nothing is impossible with God."
Why does God sometimes delay answering prayers according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones provided three reasons why God sometimes delays answering prayers: 1) To test believers and prove their faith, especially during difficult circumstances when the "real test comes"; 2) To train and develop believers' faith, just as a parent must eventually let a child walk on its own to develop strength; and 3) To make the final discomfiture of God's opponents complete, as seen in how God allowed Herod to boast before dramatically freeing Peter and ultimately bringing Herod to humiliation.
What historical perspective did Dr. Lloyd-Jones offer about the church's current challenges?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasized that the challenges facing the church today are not new. He stated, "There's nothing new about the present situation, nothing new at all." He corrected the misconception that "until this century that everybody was christian," noting that "the christian faith has had a fight for its life from the very beginning." He reminded his audience that throughout history, even when the church seemed to be failing, "God arises" and brings revival. He cited examples from the Protestant Reformation and concluded, "The tyrant is humbled and humiliated. The word of God is exalted and goes on from triumph to triumph."
What did Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as a problem with many Christians' approach to prayer?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identified a key problem with Christians' approach to prayer: they pray but don't truly believe or expect God to answer. He used the example of the early church praying for Peter's release, yet when he appeared at their door, they couldn't believe it was actually him. Lloyd-Jones stated, "It's one thing to say we pray. The question is, have you faith in your prayers? Have you faith in God? Do you expect an answer to your prayers? Merely to pray can be purely formal and utterly useless." He emphasized that Christians should not only "ask great things of God" but also "expect great things from God."
Itinerant Preaching
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.