Acts 12:1-5

During this period King Herod incited persecution against the church, causing great harm to the believers. He even had the apostle Jacob, John’s brother, beheaded. When Herod realized how much this pleased the Jewish leaders, he had Peter arrested and thrown into prison during the Feast of Passover. Sixteen soldiers were assigned to guard him until Herod could bring him to public trial, immediately after the Passover celebrations were over. The church went into a season of intense intercession, asking God to free him.