January 23rd, 2026
by Cynthia Gandhi Dobbs
by Cynthia Gandhi Dobbs
Day 20 | Unheard Prayer
When There is Doubt
Herod arrests Peter and puts him in prison in the 12th chapter of Acts. In verse 5, we see that the Church earnestly prays for Peter’s release. God sends His angel and miraculously sets Peter free. Peter goes to the house where the ‘believers’ are and knocks on the door.
A woman named Rhoda comes to answer the door, but upon hearing a familiar voice, she rushes back inside without even opening it, in a hurry to let everyone know whose voice she
heard…Peter’s. The same Peter they had been praying for.
To this, the self-same ‘believers’ who had earnestly prayed for Peter’s release say,
“You’re out of your mind…”
Acts 12:15a
They fear that something bad has happened to Peter, and that the man at the door was “Peter’s Angel” (12:15b).
But Peter keeps knocking on the door until it is opened, and the people inside watch him with jaw dropping astonishment! Even the Acts church, described as a vibrant Spirit-filled church, had problems with doubt. They had doubts that their earnest prayers were answered.
We too often ask and then fail to ‘believe’ that the answer will come. We are plagued by sickness and go through the motion of praying without expecting to be healed. We have
financial problems and rely solely on ourselves to find provision after the customary 20-second prayer for finances.
God is able! HE is a big God! If HE can release a man from prison, through His angel, as a result of an ‘ounce-of-belief’ prayer, how much more can He work good things in the lives of those that truly know and believe that HE answers prayers?
“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
James 1:6-7
Prayer Challenge:
Today, pray that God will increase your faith according to Ephesians 2:8, which says that faith is a gift from God.
A woman named Rhoda comes to answer the door, but upon hearing a familiar voice, she rushes back inside without even opening it, in a hurry to let everyone know whose voice she
heard…Peter’s. The same Peter they had been praying for.
To this, the self-same ‘believers’ who had earnestly prayed for Peter’s release say,
“You’re out of your mind…”
Acts 12:15a
They fear that something bad has happened to Peter, and that the man at the door was “Peter’s Angel” (12:15b).
But Peter keeps knocking on the door until it is opened, and the people inside watch him with jaw dropping astonishment! Even the Acts church, described as a vibrant Spirit-filled church, had problems with doubt. They had doubts that their earnest prayers were answered.
We too often ask and then fail to ‘believe’ that the answer will come. We are plagued by sickness and go through the motion of praying without expecting to be healed. We have
financial problems and rely solely on ourselves to find provision after the customary 20-second prayer for finances.
God is able! HE is a big God! If HE can release a man from prison, through His angel, as a result of an ‘ounce-of-belief’ prayer, how much more can He work good things in the lives of those that truly know and believe that HE answers prayers?
“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
James 1:6-7
Prayer Challenge:
Today, pray that God will increase your faith according to Ephesians 2:8, which says that faith is a gift from God.
Posted in 21 Days of Prayer of Fasting
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