As humans and Christians, we all have our personal prisons. Our limitations or challenges that prevents us from achieving our aim. Limitations that reduce our productivity. In most cases we get carried away by the constraints of our prison and refuse to look beyond the prison. Like Apostle Peter, some of us even sleep in our prison but not because we are waiting on the Lord to manifest but rather because we have lost hope.
Apostle Peter was in prison and he was sleeping. He did exactly what he had criticized Jesus for doing i.e. sleeping in the storm. The Presiding Bishop of One in Christ Ministry, Accra, Bishop Nana Obiri Yeboah teaches on the value of Prison to humans.
“What made Peter change from what happened then? At that moment when Peter was with Christ in the boat, he saw the situation as an impossible situation and Christ got them out. So, when his own problem came (up) and he was in prison to be hung the following day, he was calm and slept because he knew that no matter the situation, Christ would show up”
Bishop Obiri Yeboah encouraged Christians not to give up during trials because if as Christians, we can keep our prayer lives active, God will step into our situation. “when you are in prison and you have prayed to the Lord to help you, there is going to be a visitation.”
He uses the term prisons as a metaphor signifying difficult times in life, which includes failed businesses, marital challenges, backbiting and backstabbing by family and friends that has hit us as individuals with no end or solution in sight. During these times, every Christian is expected to hold onto God in prayers.
He says refusing to pray is symbolic to dwelling in darkness because Prayers brought Apostle Peter out of prison and the first thing that happened when the angel visited Peter was the introduction of light. “When you are in darkness, you cannot see around you. You cannot see what is going to happen tomorrow. So, Peter was in darkness but when the angel came there was light.”
In his words, we are responsible for our current situation that has held us down in prison. Praying unto the Lord will revive you and jolt you back to life. “When the angel came, it did not wake Peter up gently. The angel smacked Peter. It said get up! Sometimes you are doing certain things in your life but you don’t really realise it. God is going to smack you and it is a bit painful. But (as a parent) whatever made you smack your child means you want something better for your child.”
Many of us are asleep in our lives but we need to be revived in order to fulfill God’s purpose in life. And as God did for Joseph, he could put you through situation that will smack you back on track. A smack comes when God wants to wake you up.
No matter the situation you are in, never stop praying. And while praying be vigilant to receive God’s directives and act in faith. “Sometimes the Lord will tell you the situation is over but you look at yourself and say, my sickness is getting worse, my situation is getting worse, my business is closed, people are after me, my wife (husband) has left me, everything is gone bad against me. Let me tell you, within that time there will be a door that will open. It is for you to see the opportunity within that situation.”
