Did Prayer Lack Save Paul from the Sword?

I do not have any record of Ellen White stating that Paul would have escaped being beheaded if he had been prayed for as much as PeterULe 196.5+2.

While the prayers of the believers were indeed a source of great comfort and strength to the apostles during their trials, the outcome of their lives was directed by the providence of God and the specific circumstances of their ministry and legal statusLP 328.1+1.

The Deliverance of Peter

When Peter was imprisoned by Herod, the church engaged in earnest, unceasing prayer for his safety6LtMs, Ms 1, 1890, par. 30. A mighty angel was commissioned from heaven to rescue him, opening the heavy gates and leading the apostle out of the cell while the guards sleptSR 294.2. Herod was so enraged by this divine frustration of his plans that he ordered the execution of the prison guardsTT 79.5.

The Martyrdom of Paul

Paul's situation in Rome was distinct, particularly during his second imprisonment under NeroULe 196.5+1. As a Roman citizen, Paul was exempt from torture, but he was eventually sentenced to be beheaded after Nero determined to cut his life shortTT 268.1+1. This was not due to a lack of prayer from the believers, but rather the fulfillment of his witness in the world's metropolisULe 196.5+1. Both Paul and Peter ultimately shed their blood as the "seed of a vast harvest" of saints and martyrsULe 196.5+1.

The Purpose of Their Sacrifice

• Witness in Rome: Both apostles were destined by the providence of God to bear their final testimony for Christ in RomeULe 196.5+1.

• A Life of Sacrifice: Paul lived a life of entire self-sacrifice, ready to give up his life for the good of othersYI July 3, 1902, par. 5.

• Seed for the Gospel: Their deaths served to further the cause of truth, encouraging multitudes to stand firm in the face of deathULe 196.5+1.

... in the providence of God, both were to bear witness for Christ in the world's metropolis, and upon its soil both were to shed their blood as the seed of a vast harvest of saints and martyrs. About the time of Paul's second arrest, Peter also was apprehended and thrust into prison. He...— LP 328.1 (1883)

.... It was not long before the decision was pronounced which consigned Paul to a martyr's grave. Being a Roman citizen, he could not be subjected to torture, and was therefore sentenced to be beheaded— SR 315.2 (1947)

We want to stand as a unit, and those who stand ready to quibble over little points of doctrine to maintain their ideas are not really converted. Just as soon as you are truly converted, this quibbling will cease. You need to go to Go...— 6LtMs, Ms 1, 1890, par. 30 (1889)