It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. Acts 12:1-4

Talk about a captive audience?! Peter certainly had sixteen soldiers to talk to. They weren’t going anywhere; he wasn’t going anywhere. I joke about it, but for someone like Peter, he knew exactly how to handle the situation. They would be sixteen people who would never have heard the Gospel in the town squares. They had a job to do, to guard him; Peter had a job to do.

We obviously don’t know precisely what Peter said to the soldiers that night. The situation was rife with opportunity.

Many of the situations we find ourselves in have plenty of opportunity in them as well. We have to be able to read people and know what the Spirit is telling us to do. I personally find ways of making a person laugh. Sometimes a kind word or word of encouragement can make a person’s day. Sometimes we plant seeds of the Gospel. Often, a smile will go a long way.