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Acts 16:25 - Praying And Singing Praises To God Have Omnipotent Power.Acts 16:25 (NASB) Now about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.INTRODUCTION What an incredible scene this must have been! Paul and Silas were barely into their first stop on what promised to be a wildly effective Macedonian evangelistic campaign - God had verbally called them there (16:9-10). In short order, however, they found themselves the victims of false and prejudicial charges, locked up in the depths of a Roman jail, in stocks! So what did they do? Moan? Whine? Blame God? Give up? No, their jail term was marked by only two activities: praying and singing hymns to God. Paul and Silas were stripped, beaten, and placed in stocks in the inner cell. Despite this dismal situation, they praised God, praying and singing as the other prisoners listened (16:22-25). Did they "feel" like worshiping? Probably not. They were likely aching, tired, and scared. But they were determined to give glory to God, who they trusted was in control of their situation. They clung to the hard-to-understand truth previously announced by Jesus: "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me" (Matt 5:11 NIV). The radical response to worship was a decision of their will. No matter what our circumstances, we can choose to praise God. Others may even come to Christ because of our example. (The Life Application Commentary Series) COMMENTARY PEARL Power Of A Song When things aren't going your way, what is your go-to response? Some people complain about the circumstances. Some shut down. Others avoid the situation altogether. But have you ever considered singing? That's what Paul and Silas did in Acts 16. They were in the middle of a prison, at midnight, at the end of their ropes. They had no other options. What else was there to do but to cry out to God? As they sang their hymns of praise, all the prisoners listened, but the prisoners weren't the only ones. Heaven, too, was listening. Suddenly, the walls started to shake. Chains started to break. The prison door swung open, and the prisoners were eventually set free. Even the jailer and his family were saved and baptized. All because of the extravagant worship from these two men in the most unlikely of circumstances. When the darkness closes in, when life doesn't add up, when you cannot make sense of your circumstances ... sing. Choose to make worship your response to hard things, and let God do the rest. Dear God, lift my eyes to You and off my surroundings. May others around me see that You are my go-to response in every high and low. [Grace and Glory by Louie Giglio] COMMENTARY Rain blurred the windshield as we drove home. The road was slick; highway traffic, cautious. Suddenly a car zoomed past us and the two trucks ahead. It swerved into our lane and cut off the first truck Both vehicles stopped abruptly to avoid a collision. My husband, Gene, tried to do the same, but our tires slid. Crash! Our car was totaled, but we expressed thanks when we prayed later that night. We thanked Jesus for protecting everyone involved, for sending first responders, for quickly sending a tow truck, and for stopping the rainstorm as we waited roadside for a taxi. It's easy to give thanks and praise when the story ends well - but not so much when bad stuff happens. Paul and Silas experienced terrible circumstances. Stripped and beaten with rods and then locked in stocks in the worst cell, they had reason to complain. Instead, they sang hymns and prayed. Luke 6:45 says, "Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks" (ESV). Clearly Paul and Silas's hearts were filled with hope and joy. The only explanation for their ability to respond as they did was their faith in the risen Christ (Acts 16:31). They'd encountered Him and understood the power of His resurrection (Philippians 3:10-11). His Holy Spirit lived in them, and the hope and joy He produced spilled over under pressure. Apart from Jesus, few can respond like Silas and Paul. When love for Jesus fills our hearts, we, too, will praise Him under pressure. Grace Fox Faith Step: Identify one pressure facing you today. List as many things as possible that you can be thankful for in the midst of it. [Mornings With Jesus 2021 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY Acts 16:25 - Praying And Singing Praises To God Have Omnipotent Power. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20180531-0915.html Acts 16:25 - Persecution And Suffering Are No Match For Prayers And Singing. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2009/20090706-1506.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2007/20071203-0015.html Nehemiah 8:10b - The Joy of The Lord Is Your Strength. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2024/20240716-1221.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/ |