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Acts 12

ÒThat which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. 2 Is there anything of which it may be said, ÒSee, this is newÓ? (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10) What the word is saying here is that, as it was in the Bible days so it is today and nothing is new under heaven. Persecution has been and it will always be. King Herod was persecuting the church during the days of the Apostles. He had his ways of carrying out his evil devices against the church. It is declared in the book of Acts 12:1-2, ÒNow about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.Ó The hand of harassment is like a death sentence and once it is stretched out, it will keep its operation where it is not stopped. The hand of harassment was what lead to the killing of James, the brother of John. A stretched out hand of harassment is not to welcome anyone but to delay, deny and destroy anyone in its direction. Can you think of any situation representing a stretched out hand of harassment in your life or the assignment of God for you? Having worked against James, King Herod attempted to continue his evil devices by stretching out his hand against Peter. Acts 12:3, ÒAnd because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.Ó Wherever a consistent experience of harassment in one area of life continues, it will gradually be extended into affecting other areas of life. As if the destructive effect was not enough, after killing James, the same hand of King Herod kept Peter in prison. ÒPeter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.Ó (Acts 12:5) A praying church is a living church. Also a praying believer is a living believer. Who can you count on to be praying on your behalf in the midst of evil devices? Do you have a church that you can count on? Or are you as an individual taking time to pray? The prayer that delivered Peter was a constant prayer and it was in agreement. Are you considering being free from every stretched out hand of harassment that have taken a stand against you or that is building against you? A constant prayer of agreement is the one that will work for your deliverance out of every stretched out hand of harassment There will always be a time of harassment, so make a time for self-embracement in the Lord.