Praising and Singing

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

PRAISING AND SINGING

Acts 16:25-34

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved — you and your household." 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God — he and his whole family.

NIV

So much to consider, yet it would not have been right to break this up as it does complete this portion of the narrative, at least until the next day. The first truth is in the attitudes of Paul and Silas. They had been flogged and now they were sitting with their feet in stocks on a cold stone floor in the darkness of the most inner cell. Now they sat there praying and singing hymns to God. It might have been a good time to complain about their situation and get all upset at God for allowing them to be treated so poorly, considering they were doing his work. But they were not upset, and they were not complaining, instead, they were singing and praising God in prayer. Although this Greek word translated as prayer could mean supplicate, it can also mean worship. Whenever we talk to God it would be considered a form of prayer, but every time we talk to God does not mean we have to ask him for something. We could talk to him with praise on our lips and it would still be a prayer. We could talk to him with thanksgiving on our lips and it is still prayer. So here they were praising and singing to God even in their most horrible physical state. God responded as he is always accustomed to doing when his people praise and worship him in prayer and song. He caused this earthquake that the foundation of the prison was shaken and doors flew open and their chains or stocks flew open and everyone, all the prisoners could have run for freedom. But they did not, and the Jailer knew that it would have been seen as his fault and he would have been executed, so he decided to take his own life. Paul shouted out not to do that because all the prisoners were still there. What happened next was a miracle that we will leave for later. For now, what we learn is that our circumstance is not the issue. We always want to have the best of things, the best of situations, and the best of times. But the fact is that we should be praising and worshipping God in song no matter our circumstances. So we can want and we can ask God for what we want because Jesus told us that we could ask for anything in his name and the Father would give it to us. But the point is not to just ask, but to always be in an attitude of rejoining in the Lord, praising him in prayer and song.