The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Acts 12:1-5, “Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church, in order to
mistreat them.
2 And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword.
3 And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of
Unleavened Bread.
4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him,
intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people.
5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.”

The Church of Jesus Christ has always been under attack! In early centuries, rulers feared no one; and those who questioned them were subjected to all sorts of inhumane tactics, intended to silence them completely by erasing them from the face of the Earth! The plan was simple: erase the leaders and the Church will be silenced! James, the brother of John had already been put to death; now Peter was imprisoned, as his fate was being planned. The Church had but one avenue of hope: it was prayer.

Careful exploration raises the serious question of whether the Church today has forgotten how to pray? The measly “now I lay me down to sleep” type prayers appear to have replaced the deep, forceful, Spirit-moving prayers known in the past. Spiritual leaders within the Church often replace prayer with political-like movements intended to accomplish what we once looked to the LORD to do.

The early church that identified with Simon Peter prayed “fervently, intently.” The burden of the Holy Spirit that called them to prayer rested upon them until the LORD assurred them of victory! Their prayers were governed by the Holy Spirit, not by the clock. Still, the absence of intense prayer cannot be laid solely at the feet of Church’s leadership. Nothing prevents us from personally engaging in true, Spirit-moving prayer.

Peter’s ultimate deliverence traces directly to Almighty God, as a result of the Church’s prayer. May the LORD burden each of us to engage more fervently and more often in true Spirit-induced prayer.
Only then, will we experience the needed deliverence that He alone can provide.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom