Prayer Opened The Gates 祈祷打开了大门。

5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
于是彼得被囚在监里；教会却为他切切地祷告　神。(使徒行传 12:5 和合本)

Prayer Opened The Gates
祈祷打开了大门。

It seemed impossible, James had been killed and now Peter was imprisoned, what is happening the church is losing it’s leaders. What shall we do?
这看起来不可能。雅各已经被杀害了，彼得也被囚禁了。教会正在失去领袖，我们应该怎么做

What would be your response to all this?
关于这些你的责任是什么？

In verses 6-19, we have the miracle of Peter’s release from prison, the prison door opening by themselves the word used here, is translated and now forms the English word, automatic.
在6~19节中，我们看到了彼得被释放的奇迹。这里说监狱的门自己开了。他被翻译和形成了现在英语中的一词自动的。

Wait a minute, these things, don’t happen. Do they?
等一等，这些事情真的发生了吗？还是没有。

Yes, they do, not because of the number of people praying or the amount of prayer undertaken, but because God is pleased to answer prayer.
是的，他们发生了不是因为祈祷的人数。而是上帝欣喜的回应了人们的祈祷。

Great things happen, because God answers prayers, he alone is the only one, who answers prayer. God deserves and takes all the glory when a prayer is answered, but he also loves to hear the prayers of his people, it says the prayers of the saints come before the throne of God Revelation 5:8
伟大的事情发生了。因为上帝回应了祈祷者的祷告。只有他也唯有他。在回应祈祷者。当祈祷者得到了回应，上帝配的所有的荣耀。因为他喜悦听他们的祷告。在启示录中，圣徒的祷告已经到达了上帝的宝座前。他既拿了书卷，四活物和二十四位长老就俯伏在羔羊面前，各拿着琴和盛满了香的金炉；这香就是众圣徒的祈祷。 (启示录 5:8 和合本)

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.All through the Old testament, we are encouraged to call upon God, in Psalm 50:15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
当他拿起卷轴时，四个活物和二十四位长老在羔羊面前俯伏，手中各拿着竖琴和装满香的金碗，这些香就是圣徒的祷告。在整个旧约中，我们被鼓励向神呼求，在诗篇50:15中写道； “在患难之日呼求我，我必搭救你，你也要荣耀我。”并要在患难之日求告我；我必搭救你，你也要荣耀我。(诗篇 50:15 和合本)

Jeremiah 29:12
你们要呼求我，祷告我，我就应允你们。 (耶利米书 29:12 和合本)

Isaiah 64:7
And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.

以赛亚书 64:7
并且没有人呼求你的名，没有人激动自己来归附你；因为你把脸从我们身上隐藏，因我们的罪孽消灭了我们。

There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities. Look at this last verse from Isaiah, let me ask you, is there anyone in your church, who is rousing him/herself to take hold of God in prayer. This is what the church in Jerusalem, were doing, when we call upon God in prayer, he moves.
没有人呼求你的名字，没有人振作自己来抓住你；因为你已经向我们隐藏了你的脸，让我们在自己罪孽的手中消亡。看看以赛亚书的这最后一句，让我问你，你的教会中是否有人在振作自己，通过祷告抓住上帝。这就是耶路撒冷的教会所做的，当我们在祷告中呼求上帝时，他就会行动。
Look at the example of the church in Acts 4:
来看一看使徒行传中教会的例子。

23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,[d] said by the Holy Spirit,
二人既被释放，就到会友那里去，把祭司长和长老所说的话都告诉他们。 (使徒行传 4:23 和合本)他们听见了，就同心合意地高声向　神说：“主啊！你是造天、地、海，和其中万物的， (使徒行传 4:24 和合本)你曾藉着圣灵，托你仆人－我们祖宗大卫的口，说：外邦为什么争闹？万民为什么谋算虚妄的事？(使徒行传 4:25 和合本)

“‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain?26 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’[e]—
世上的君王一齐起来，臣宰也聚集，要敌挡主，并主的受膏者（或译：基督）。(使徒行传 4:26 和合本)

27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
希律和本丢·彼拉多，外邦人和以色列民，果然在这城里聚集，要攻打你所膏的圣仆（仆：或译子）耶稣， 成就你手和你意旨所预定必有的事。 他们恐吓我们，现在求主鉴察，一面叫你仆人大放胆量讲你的道，一面伸出你的手来医治疾病，并且使神迹奇事因着你圣仆（仆：或译子）耶稣的名行出来。” ……祷告完了，聚会的地方震动，他们就都被圣灵充满，放胆讲论　神的道。那许多信的人都是一心一意的，没有一人说他的东西有一样是自己的，都是大家公用。 (使徒行传 4:27-29,31-32 和合本)

This was the church taking hold of God in prayer, the whole church praying in unity, for Gd to work in power. WS Dowd said: Prayer is weakness, leaning on omnipotence.
祷告或许是微弱的，但依靠全能的那一位

Prayer can open doors that can’t be opened, it can do things, that amaze the human eye and heart, it is God acting, just because he loves to show his glory in response to the earnest and fervent prayers of his people.
祷告可以打开打不开的门。他可以做震惊我们眼睛和心灵的事。是上帝在行动。因为他喜悦在回应他子民真诚而热烈的祈祷中而彰显自己的荣耀。

Let’s rouse ourselves to pray, God wants to hear us.
让我们叫醒自己来祈祷，上帝喜欢听我们的祈祷。

God bless you,
上帝祝福你。