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God’s Eternal Glory

When Peter was imprisoned in Acts 12, it was a crisis that could have ended in catastrophe or victory. To the believers gathered in Mary’s house praying for his release, their primary concerns were most likely immediate. They were frightened that they would lose the great apostle who was also their friend and leader. They were probably empathetic with Peter’s suffering and the brutal execution he was facing.

But there was a more enduring matter at stake—the eternal glory of God. The intercessors probably had no idea that through their prayers God would unleash His power in an extraordinary way—a way that would be a testimony to many generations, including ours. How many thousands have been inspired by this amazing story? Yet, it might have been a tragic tale lost to history had it not been for the prayers of those few fervent prayer warriors standing in the gap.

God is primarily concerned with receiving glory from our lives. Perhaps the daunting circumstances you are facing are just a platform from which God desires to demonstrate a mighty miracle to an unbelieving world. The eyes of God are going to and fro throughout the earth looking for someone through whom He can show himself mighty (2 Chronicles 16:9). He wants to receive glory through your sickness. He wants to receive praise through your financial emergency. He wants to receive honor through your family situation. Call upon the Lord. Inquire of Him. Ask Him what He thinks and desires. Don’t deprive Him of the opportunity to be your “very present help in trouble.” Don’t lean on the arm of the flesh. Instead, seek the Lord while He may be found and call on Him when He is near (Isaiah 55:6). View your difficulty as an opportunity for the Lord to receive glory.