Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 12:5

"Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him." — Acts 12:5 (ASV)

Peter was likely imprisoned somewhere within the Fortress of Antonia, which overlooked the temple area to the north and had entrances to both the temple courts and the city. More important to Luke, for whom prayer is the natural atmosphere of God’s people and the normal context for divine activity (cf. 1:14, 24; 2:42; 4:24–31; 6:4, 6; 9:40; et al.), is the fact that “the church was earnestly praying to God for him [Peter].”