TEXT: Acts 12:1-18
GOD is everywhere. He sees us all the time. He always knows what we are doing. God takes very special care of the ones who try to be helpers for Him.
One time God’s helper, Peter, was in a cold, dark prison-jail away from all his friends. Peter had not done anything bad. All he was doing was telling the people about Jesus. That made the king angry at Peter. He did not want the people to know about Jesus, so he had Peter put in jail so he could not talk to anyone.
That mean king even had chains put on Peter’s hands. He was chained to two guard-men so he could not get away.
Peter’s friends were so sorry that he was in jail. They met together and said, “What can we do to help poor Peter get out of that jail?” “We can pray,” they thought. “Peter is one of God’s good helpers. God will surely hear us and help Peter get out.”
So the friends of Peter went to a lady’s house named Mary and had a prayer meeting. How hard they did pray! They asked God to take Peter out of the prison-jail.
God heard Peter’s friends. When God wants to send help from Heaven He sometimes sends an angel. It was nighttime. Peter was asleep, chained to the two men. Suddenly a bright light began to shine in the dark prison-jail. It shone right in there where Peter was. The angel of God reached over and told Peter to get up, quickly.
Peter stood right up. And those heavy chains fell off! Peter’s hands were free once again. The angel told Peter to put on his clothes and sandal-shoes. The angel said: “Follow me.” Peter must have been very much surprised. No one can hurt God’s helper if God says, “Stop it.”
Peter was way, way far inside the prison-jail. He was not near the door and there were men to keep anyone from getting in or out.
Peter followed the angel. They went past one guard-man, then another, and another. Not one of those guard-men woke up. Not one of them saw Peter leave. Not even the two men beside Peter who had chains on them to hold Peter. No, God did not let one of those men see Peter go. No one even tried to stop Peter.
Soon Peter and the angel came to the big, heavy, iron gate that went into the city where Peter’s friends were having the prayer meeting.
The big, heavy, iron gate was locked, but it began to move open, open, open. Even big, heavy, iron gates cannot hold God’s people when God sends His angel to open them. The iron gates opened for Peter and the angel.
Up through the dark streets went Peter with the angel. Then the angel left Peter and he could not see the angel any more. Now, Peter really knew he had been brought out of prison. He did not have the chains on. He had been so surprised he had thought he might be dreaming, but here he was near his friend’s house.
Peter went to Mary’s house where they were still praying for him. When Peter knocked at the gate a little girl named Rhoda came to see who was there. When Rhoda heard Peter’s voice she was so happy and excited she ran back to the people who were praying and said, “Peter is at the gate! Peter is at the gate!”
The people in the house told Rhoda that it could not be Peter, because he was in the prison-jail. That was who they were praying for.
Peter knocked and knocked at the gate. When his friends opened the door, they saw that it really was Peter. Oh, how happy they must have been that Jesus had answered their prayers so fast and helped Peter get out of that cold, dark, prison-jail! Peter told them all about how God had sent His angel to help him. He was glad his friends prayed for him.
God sends us angels, too, but we cannot see the angels. His angels take good care of us. We do not have to see them. We know they are with us because God said so in the Bible.
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