Purpose! Newsletter - March 2026

Acts 12:5

5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing

of the church unto God for him.

The Church was following Pauline teaching before he gave it in 1 Thessalonian 5:17:

¹⁷ Pray without ceasing.

The Church’s prayer worked. Sixteen Roman guards nor Herod himself could prevent the answer to the prayer of the people of God.

In answer to prayer the Lord commanded his angel to invade Herod’s facility. The heavenly messengers are never defeated either. The record does not show how he got in the prison but it does reveal how he got out leading the Apostle Peter.

While in the prison he nullified the effect of the guards, woke up the sleeping preacher, and made the chains that bound him to fall off.

Peter and the angel walked out together past the guards and the iron gate opened as easy as the doors at Walmart. They walked out into the night and Peter was left alone. The angelic mission had been accomplished. Peter was safe. Hallelujah.

Suddenly the Apostle realized what had just taken place. Immediately he headed toward the praying church. And they were still praying. Without ceasing. Not knowing their prayer was already answered they continued in prayer.

It is better to continue in prayer after it has been answered than to stop praying before the answer comes. Pray without ceasing.

The answer is being worked out while you talk to God about it. He is like, Ok, I see what you need. Aha let me get things moving here. Angel, need you to go to yonder place and make your presence known and effective. There are some opposing forces over there, Angel, but nothing you can’t overcome. Go on and get that there Apostle Peter out of Herod’s prison. He needs to keep on preaching. Get him out Angel, he will know what to do next.

He’ll know to get to that praying church.

Ok Lord, I’m on my way.

¹⁰ When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.

¹¹ And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

¹² And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.

Ahh the power of a praying church.

At Purpose Ministries Church we have a four part mission goal. You will see it in all our publications. That is our calling, our assignment, our raison d'être.

The first of these is that we are A Praying Church. As a matter of fact, that was our initial ministry. We were to be a gathering for prayer. Though we have evolved we still maintain prayer as our initial event in each Sunday service. We take time to pray according to a selected scripture and pray toward the fulfillment of that scripture.

We are also A Healing Church, A Holy Spirit Church, and A Preaching Church. We may talk more about those at a later time. Our focus for now is A Praying Church. We know prayer works.

Peter testified to its effectiveness.

¹⁷ But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. Hallelujah!

Find a praying church, be a praying church. Amen. -PJF-

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And now a word from Pastor Shirley

The book I Samuel tells us that Hannah was the barren wife of Elkanah and Eli was the priest that thought Hannah was drunk when he saw her lips moving but no words came out. During this interaction Hannah tells Eli that she was a woman of “sorrowful spirit” so she poured her heart out to the Lord. Eli tells her to “go in peace” and God will do what you asked him to do.

Hannah’s emotional state brought her to prayer. She was sorrowful, bitter, and I would say that she was depressed. After going through the motions of the sacrificial offerings, she found a place where she could be alone and poured her heart out to the Lord. As she poured all the frustrations out, verse 11 states, “And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.”

In Hannah’s brokenness, in her desperation, she makes a vow to the Lord that if He grants her request for a man child that she will give him back to the Lord. God answered her prayer quickly. 20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord.

These next few verses tell us the plans Elkanah and Hannah agreed to:

21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.

22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever.

23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the Lord establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.

The Hebrew word for weaned in verses 22-24 is gāmal which means to complete (his/her) nursing. There is no definite time for weaning; however, three years seems to be the most accepted timeframe so let’s go with a three year weaning timeframe. Three years of caring for her child, the one she prayed for, the one she cried for… those years must have been both great and difficult for her.

I wonder if she had moments when she wanted to prolong the weaning period. Times at the temple were rough. The priest allowed his sons to do wicked things. Maybe she thought, maybe another year or two and we’ll see if they improve. No one knows if she had those thoughts or not, they are not recorded; however, her actions were.

24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young.

25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord.

27 For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:

28 Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.

Hannah did not allow the current state of the temple to hinder her from following through with the vow she made to God. She did not allow the feelings of giving up her son to overwhelm her to the point of disobedience. She fulfilled her vow and God blessed her with three more sons and two daughters. -SAF-

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In Memoriam

My brother. A man of God.

A faithful giver to this ministry.

Saul B. Flores

April 3, 1941 – March 2, 2026

 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep,

that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 1 Thessalonians 4:13

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Purpose! Ministries Inc.

16605 Sunrise Lakes Blvd Suite 6

Clermont, FL 34714

Sundays 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm

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Pastors PJ and Shirley Flores

     Purpose! Ministries

A Praying Church - A Healing Church - A Holy Spirit Church - A Preaching Church

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