The persecution of the church now comes from Herod. He has one of Jesus’ followers executed, and when he sees this is popular with the Jewish leaders, he arrests Peter too. It wasn’t fun at the time, but it is a fun story to read. Herod uses all the resources of the government to hold Peter in prison, and Peter is released anyway. The people who are praying for Peter’s safety are actually surprised that God answered their prayers. When Herod is being honored as a god, he dies.
God is making it very clear that He is truly the one in charge. He can overpower the powerful at any time He chooses. As Christians, we sometimes fear those who can make things difficult for us. We should always pray and should not be surprised when He delivers!