But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. Acts 12:16
Friends of ours rushed to the hospital one night in response to a message from the police that their son had been critically injured in a car accident and was not expected to live. As they made their way to the hospital, they prayed furiously and earnestly that they might reach their boy before he died. Entering the hospital, they were led into a hospital room where a medical team was gathered around a bed. Breaking through the circle around the bed, they could not believe their eyes: there sat their son, smiling and chatting with the doctors. The police had been wrong; their son was not badly hurt, although he had been knocked unconscious in the accident. The blood that was covering his head when the first responders arrived was not his own but that of another occupant of the car. His parents’ joyful surprise must have been like that of the Christians who were gathered to pray at Mary’s house. Answers to prayer can come as a great shock sometimes.
Our little minds fail to grasp the greatness of the God to Whom we pray, so when He reveals his greatness to us in miraculous answers to prayer, it takes some time for us to understand. The greatest miracle of all is salvation, and we pray daily for the salvation of our family members, and for the family members of those who are close to us. Over the years, some of those for whom we have been praying have trusted Christ. We welcomed the news with gladness and with initial disbelief, just like the Christians in Jerusalem who saw Peter at the door. We are reminded of how the Lord Jesus often would rebuke His disciples for their lack of faith. And yes, our faith is far smaller than it ought to be. But the miraculous hand of our God is far greater than we expect.
Can we imagine anyone at that prayer meeting in Mary’s house who would come to the door and smile and nod, saying, ‘Hi Peter, we were expecting you’? Not likely! Astonishment would have filled them all. Were they all weak in faith? I don’t think so, otherwise why would they have even convened the prayer meeting? No, they were just caught up in the greatness of God’s ability to far exceed their expectations. Although we don’t read of it in the chapter, it is certain that one of the men at that prayer meeting led the company in a joyful prayer of thanksgiving. What a thrill was theirs that night. Would that God would give us such a thrilling experience today! We look for Him to answer our prayers. -Jim MacIntosh