The streets of Jerusalem were quieting and clearing up as the day gave way to evening. Gedaliah and Shiloh walked side by side, done with another intense day of work, fixing up another building for a Roman soldier. Another satisfied customer, as was the norm with Shiloh and Gedaliah, who were lauded as some of the best masons in the city.

As they trudged home, the father and son duo were also taking a walk down memory lane.

“I still remember it, as though it was just yesterday,” Shiloh chuckled, patting Gedaliah on the back as they moved on. “You were seven, and after watching me at work so many time, you tried to build your own little house in the courtyard.”

Gedaliah groaned, covering his face with a hand. “Oh, Father, must you remind me of that embarrassing little memory? I still cringe whenever I remember how I stacked those stones so badly, and the whole thing collapsed on my foot!” 

Shiloh laughed heartily. “Ah, yes! Who can forget that? And you wailed as if the entire Temple had fallen! Your mother had to hold you for an hour before you would calm down.” 

Gedaliah shook his head with a smile. “And you—you just stood there, with your arms crossed, saying, ‘A builder must always know his foundation, son.’” 

Shiloh grinned. “A lesson you clearly learned well. Look at you now, doing me proud and doing outstanding work.” 

Gedaliah’s heart swelled at his father’s pride. These past weeks had been filled with such joy, such closeness—not only with each other but with the growing family of believers. It truly was a blessed time.

They continued their conversation as they moved on, recounting old memories and expressing enthusiasm at making new ones.

As they reached their home, the warm glow of oil lamps flickered through the windows. Gedaliah reached for the door, but before he could enter, hurried footsteps echoed down the street behind them. 

They turned, and Moriss and Amariah came into view, their faces tense, their breathing uneven from running.

Shiloh’s smile faded. The looks on their faces suggested that not all was well.

“What is it?” 

Moriss spoke first, his voice tight with urgency. “There is bad news. Peter and John have been arrested.” 

Gedaliah’s eyes widened. “Arrested? By whom?” 

“The priests,” Amariah answered. “The Sadducees. What happened was, they healed the lame man who usually sits at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and when a crowd gathered, they took the opportunity to preach in Solomon’s Portico, speaking about Jesus—and it appears many people were believing them. But the priests were furious about it, so they seized them and took them away.”

Shiloh’s expression hardened as he shook his head. “Hmm. Why am I not surprised that the Sadducees are involved in this? They have always opposed the truth of the resurrection. They will not tolerate such words.”

Gedaliah clenched his fists. His heart pounded, thinking of Peter and John in the hands of those hostile religious leaders. “Do you have any idea on what they plan to do with them?” 

Moriss shook his head. “Not yet. But I have a bad feeling it will not be pleasant. We must pray for them. Now.”

Shiloh looked at them all, then turned toward the house. “Come in,” he ordered firmly. “We will gather the others. We will lift our voices to the Lord, for He alone is our refuge.” 

Gedaliah nodded, moving aside as Moriss and Amariah entered the house. The power of prayer was all they had, and truthfully, it was the most powerful thing they had.

Peter and John were in the hands of men—but greater still, they were in the hands of God.

***

The house was dimly lit that evening, the flickering oil lamps around the house casting long shadows on the walls.

Shiloh, Mathea, Amariah, Moriss, and Berechiah sat in a close circle with Gedaliah at the center, their hands resting on their laps or clasped together. The usual warmth of their gatherings was replaced by a solemn stillness, as this shared weight pressed upon their hearts. 

At Shiloh’s direction, Gedaliah bowed his head, closed his eyes, and began to pray, his voice  steady, calm and filled with a quiet intensity.

“Lord God of Heaven and Earth, we come before You tonight, lifting up our brothers, Peter and John before You. King of Heaven, You called them to be witnesses of Your Son, and they have obeyed, proclaiming His name boldly before the people. But now, O Lord, they are in the hands of those who despise the truth.”

The room was silent, save for the regular crackling of the lamps. 

“Jehovah Elohim, You see all things. You know the schemes of the priests and rulers, yet we do not pray in fear. For You are our rock, our refuge, our mighty deliverer. Strengthen Peter and John even now. We humbly ask that You let their hearts not waver. Fill them with Your Spirit, that they may speak with wisdom and boldness, unshaken by threats.” 

A murmur of agreement passed through the circle. 

Gedaliah took a breath, his voice unwavering. “And Lord, let Your will be done. If they must suffer for Your name, let them rejoice in it. If they are to be freed, let it be by Your hand alone, that all may see and know that You are God.”

His fingers curled slightly as he pressed on.

“Stretch out Your hand, O Lord. Confound the plans of the wicked. Let Your name be glorified in all this.”

He lifted his head slightly.

“We trust in You. We will not fear.” 

A quiet but firm chorus of “Amen” followed. 

The weight of tension in the room did not disappear totally upon the completion of that prayer, but there came a certainty.

God was with them, just as He was with Peter and John.

No matter the situation, He had not abandoned His servants. They were not alone. He would remain with them and give them grace through their current situation.

And as for the family, and every other group of believers praying for Peter and John…

They would wait.

And they would trust in the Sovereign One.

***

About an hour had passed after midday, and the brightness of the sun streamed through the house. The air inside was thick with the quiet fervency of prayer. Shiloh, the one seated in the center, led with steady words, his voice both solemn and sure. Moriss was absent, as he had gone to observe and find out what was happening.

“Lord, Your servants are in Your hands. You are the God who delivered Daniel from the lions, who parted the sea before Moses, who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead. Let Your will be done in the lives of Peter and John.”

Gedaliah, seated beside him, murmured his agreement. Mathea, Amariah, and Berechiah all had their heads bowed, their hearts lifting silent petitions to Heaven. Though they had spent much of the night in prayer, their faith had not wavered.

They strongly believed that Moriss would soon arrive with good news.

Twenty minutes on, and suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside. Everyone raised their heads and looked expectantly at the door.

The door creaked open, and Moriss entered, slightly breathless, his face bright with excitement. 

“They’re free, family! They’re free!” he announced delightedly.

Shiloh’s eyes widened, and Mathea gasped.

“Really?” Gedaliah sprung to his feet, excitement already filling up his chest.

Moriss nodded, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. “The Lord has been merciful. Peter and John—they have been released! They are unharmed.” 

A collective sigh of relief passed through the room, smiles breaking out as the weight of worry instantly dissipated. Mathea clasped her hands together. “Oh, blessed be the Lord!” 

“What happened?” Amariah asked her husband eagerly.

Moriss stepped further in, his hands gesturing animatedly as he spoke. “So, this is what they told us when they arrived at the gathering: the rulers, elders, and high priests questioned them, demanding to know by what power they performed miracles. And Peter declared that it was in the name of Jesus. Boldly and without fear! He told them that salvation is found in no one else! No other name but that of Jesus!”

Gedaliah’s heart pounded, and his jaw dropped. If there was one thing everyone knew, it was that going before the rulers and high priests was one of the most terrifying experiences. To have spoken that boldly was incredible. “He spoke that before the council?”

“Yes! And the priests were astonished! They saw that these were uneducated men, yet they spoke with wisdom and confidence. And more—since the healed man was standing right there, they could not deny what had happened!”

Shiloh let out a deep chuckle. “Oh, the Lord confounds the wise with the foolish things of the world.”

Moriss grinned. “Exactly. They wanted to punish them badly, but they feared the people. So instead, they threatened them and told them never to speak in Jesus’ name again.” 

Berechiah frowned. “And what did Peter and John say to that?”

“They said, ‘Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than Him. We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.’”

Laughter broke out in the room, not of mockery, but of sheer joy.

“Amazing! Oh, what courage!” Amariah exclaimed. 

Moriss nodded. “They were finally released, and that’s when they came to meet with us. And you know what happened when we met?”

“What?” Gedaliah asked, leaned forward.

His voice dropped slightly, his tone thick with wonder. “After we heard it all, we lifted our voices and prayed. And the prayer point was asking God to grant them even more boldness to speak His word.”

Shiloh inhaled deeply, his eyes shining. “My word, what a prayer!”

Moriss continued, his voice trembling slightly. “And… as we prayed… the very place where we were gathered shook! The ground trembled beneath us, and we were all filled afresh with the Holy Spirit.”

A stunned silence fell over the room.

Gedaliah’s breath caught. “The room shook?”

Moriss nodded, eyes wide. “Yes. It was as if the Lord Himself descended upon us in power.” 

Mathea placed a hand over her heart, shaking her head in awe. “This is incredible. The presence of the Almighty is with us.”

Shiloh let out a breath of amazement. “We serve a God who hears and answers. And shows up in the most incredible of ways.”

“Indeed.”

Excitement bubbled up in Gedaliah’s chest. He had felt the Spirit move in his own life, but to hear of such power and tangible signs of God’s presence only served to deepen his faith.

Moriss looked at each of them, his voice steady. “This is only the beginning.”

Gedaliah met his gaze and nodded. “Then let us be ready.”

And with that, the family rejoiced together, giving thanks to the Lord, knowing that His work was far from over.

Oh yes, the Sanhedrin might have warned them, but Peter and John were never going to heed their words over that of the Master…