Paul and Silas ministered together on their missionary journey, sharing the news about the risen King Jesus and declaring all other gods and idols as powerless and futile. They insisted that there’s only one true God, which stirred up opposition, riots, and they even got beaten and thrown in jail.
ACTS 16:16-34
16 Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you a way of salvation, are the servants of the Most High God.” 18 She did this for many days.
Paul was greatly annoyed. Turning to the spirit, he said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out right away.
19 When her owners realized that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. 20 Bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews 21 and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates stripped off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods.23 After they had severely flogged them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to guard them carefully. 24 Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.
A Midnight Deliverance
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped.
28 But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself, because we’re all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He escorted them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house. 33 He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized. 34 He brought them into his house, set a meal before them, and rejoiced because he had come to believe in God with his entire household.
HEAR:
Paul and Silas are imprisoned, and at midnight, they are praying and praising God when the prison begins to shake. The praise and prayers of two opened the prison doors for everyone. The praise and prayers of two caused the chains to fall off for everyone.
Take this time to listen to the Holy Spirit and pray. Specifically think about the following:
What song are you singing? Recognize that there is power in your song and partner with the song of Heaven that sets the captives free (vv 25-26).
Is your worship of God situational? Or are you letting praise pour out from a deeper place? Recognize how Paul and Silas continued to pray and praise God in the midst of their imprisonment (v.25).
Are you proclaiming the name of Jesus and his salvation to those around you? Live in such a way that others come to believe in God (vv 25, 31-34).
Read through Acts 16:16-34 (you can also go to other passages of scripture) and ask the Lord to highlight a specific word, phrase, or verse to you. Ask God to speak to you and meditate upon the text.
RESPOND:
In Acts 16, Paul and Silas’ devotion to God overwhelmed the system. God had taken a deeper place in them and worship broke out from them in the middle of their low place. Their place of pain became a place of praise and adoration to the one who was obedient to and exalted by the Father. We too have an invitation to seek the Lord and experience his presence, power, and provision in our lives and in our city.
Use this time to respond to God:
Intercede on behalf of the captives. Pray that prison doors may be opened and chains released and that entire households may believe in Jesus and be saved (vv 26-34).
Pray that God may take a deeper place in our church, that in every high place and in every low place worship would break out in all of us (vv 22-25).
Ask God to impose himself on our city and on our region. Ask God for a move of his spirit, that prayer and praise would come forth and create wakes in our city (v.26).
Ask the Holy Spirit how else you can pray and press into that.
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