You may not be in a physical prison, but sometimes you can feel bound by situations. Paul and Silas were in prison for doing good and telling people about Jesus. It looked pretty bleak. They had been beaten and bound up and put in a stinking jail. Most believe it was an open sewer. They were hurting physically. They were challenged with their very lives. But they never forgot that God was with them and still does miracles.
They Prayed to God
They prayed to God because they knew Him and often asked His help. They simply cried out from their hearts. Since Paul and Silas didn’t escape, their prayers must not have been merely for themselves. They looked at the prisoners as people God wanted to reach.
They sang praises to God
They sang praises that they had learned by memory. There were no written hymn books. They relied upon what they had already stored inside them. And it was enough. They had a concert that the other prisoners heard. They brought light and hope to everybody around them. They filled that place with God’s presence through their praises.
God Answered
Act 16:26 “Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the jail to its foundations. The doors opened, and the chains fell from all the prisoners.” Interestingly, Paul and Silas’s prayers set everybody free. As a result, the prison guard and family became believers. Their witness through prayer and praise not only set Paul and Silas free, but everybody in the jail witnessed God’s intervention.
Questions:
- Are you in a prison today that praise can break through?
- Are you aware of others around you that also need God’s help?
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