Your Victory Is In Your Praise!
Many times when one goes through times of struggles, trials, or distress the immediate reaction can be to get discouraged, begin to speak negative, and sometimes even speak against God. You may ask yourself, “What Can I Do When Feeling Discouraged?”
In today’s message we will be looking at Paul and Sila’s great victory when they were placed in prison for preaching the gospel of Jesus. In the bible we will find this account in the book of Acts chapter 16 and verses16-40. (Acts 16:16-40)
This account in the bible tells us that Paul and Silas were put in the deepest part of the prison for setting free a slave girl that had a spirit by which she would tell the future. This slave girl followed Paul and the others, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days the bible tells us. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that very moment the spirit left her. When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and were accused of throwing the city into an uproar. The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and a jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.
About the midnight hour Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose!! Do you notice what praying and singing hymns to God provoked?
The earth shook, the prison was shaken, the prison doors flew open, and the chains CAME LOOSE!!!
When put in that prison, Paul and Silas could have easily reacted in fear, disbelief, anger, discouragement and so many other ways. The enemy of our lives wants us to react in this way. The devil knows that if we respond in this form we are defeated. In reality, their prayers and worship to the Lord caused confusion in the camp of the wicked. We see the outcome of their prayers and worship. Paul and Silas were set free, the jailer and his home received salvation and the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Even more, when released from prison later that day Paul and Silas go to Lydia’s home and encourage them.
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