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『彼得被囚在監裏。教會卻為他切切的禱告神。』（徒十二章五節）
彼得在監裏等待處決。教會既沒有能力拯救他，又沒有勢力拯救他。
地上的幫助得不到了，可是天上的幫助還得得到。他們切切的禱告神。神遂差遣祂的使者，夜間去拍醒彼得，領他過了第一層、第二層監牢，來到臨街鐵門。那門自己開了，彼得就得了自由 。
親愛的，在你的道路上，可能也有鐵門阻塞你的前進。像一隻籠中的鳥一般。你一直在擊打門閂；可是非但得不到幫助，反使你非常疲憊，非常苦痛。你如果學會了祕訣，就不會這樣了。甚麼祕訣呢？就是相信禱告；這樣，當你來到鐵門旁邊，那門就會自己開了。如果你能像當初的教會在樓房裏那樣懇切禱告，你就會節省許多精力，免除很多煩腦，困難也能勝過了；逆境也能順利了；被撒但所捆綁的親友也能得到釋放了。－－C.H.P.
危急的時候，是禱告最懇切的時候。以利亞在迦密山頂屈身在地，將臉伏在兩膝之中。雖然沒有出聲的話語，他的全人已經與神合，與神同心合意地反對惡者的勢力。這是我們禱告時所當有的態度。－－譯自屈膝的時候（The Bent-KneeTime）
說不出來的歎息，常是不能拒絕的禱告。－－司布真（C. H. Spurgeon）
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“Peter was kept in prison: but prayer (instant and earnest prayer) was made for him.” (Acts 12:5, margin.)
Peter was in prison awaiting his execution. The Church had neither human power nor influence to save him. There was no earthly help, but there was help to be obtained by the way of Heaven. They gave themselves to fervent, importunate prayer. God sent His angel, who aroused Peter from sleep and led him out through the first and second wards of the prison; and when they came to the iron gate, it opened to them of its own accord, and Peter was free.
There may be some iron gate in your life that has blocked your way. Like a caged bird you have often beaten against the bars, but instead of helping, you have only had to fall back tired, exhausted and sore at heart. There is a secret for you to learn, and that is believing prayer; and when you come to the iron gate, it will open of its own accord. How much wasted energy and sore disappointment will be saved if you will learn to pray as did the Church in the upper room! Insurmountable difficulties will disappear; adverse circumstances will prove favorable if you learn to pray, not with your own faith but with the faith of God (Mark 11:22, margin). Souls in prison have been waiting for years for the gate to open; loved ones out of Christ, bound by Satan, will be set free when you pray till you definitely believe God. --- C.H.P.
Emergencies call for intense prayer. When the man becomes the prayer nothing can resist its touch. Ellijah on Carmel, bowed down on the ground, with his face between his knees, that was prayer-the man himself. No words are mentioned. Prayer can be too tense for words. The man’s whole being was in touch with God, and was set with God against the powers of evil. They couldn’t withstand such praying. There’s more of this embodied praying needed. ---The Bent-knee Time.
“Groanings which cannot be uttered are often prayers which cannot be refused.” --- C. H. Spurgeon.
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