prayer

Have you intended to pray but things got in the way and before you knew it your days got worse before they got better.

Paul and Silas had some days like that.

Their story is supernatural but nonetheless real!

Acts 16:16-40

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, 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. 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 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 said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

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 the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such 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. 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. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 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 household.

When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”

But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”

The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.
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They dealt with an evil spirit in a woman by casting it out in Jesus name.

They then had to deal with the greedy, angry owners of this woman.

They were seized and dragged to the marketplace and placed before the authorities by these greedy, angry people.
(In other words these people called the law on them.)

Then others joined in against them and they were stripped and severely beaten with rods per the law.

Next they were sent to prison and guarded closely by a jailer who put their feet in stocks.

Apparently they couldn’t sleep because after midnight Paul and Silas started praying and singing hymns and had the attention of all the prisoners.

Okay finally we get to the best part, the supernatural part:

A violent earthquake shook the foundations of the prison and the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.

But Paul and Silas didn’t run for their lives. Instead they stayed and saved the jailer from taking his life and then they told the jailer how to be saved for eternity. The jailer and his whole household were saved and baptized by Paul and Silas.

The jailer did something for Paul and Silas before he and his household were saved though, he washed their wounds.

Can you imagine Paul and Silas sitting in prison with severe wounds praying and praising God?

I don’t know about you but I might be complaining and whining and crying my eyes out, instead.

The jailer, after washing their wounds was immediately baptized along with his family and then he set a meal before Paul and Silas.

They found out they were free to go in peace as per the law and they refused the offer.

They instead wanted as big of a public exit as they had a public entrance into prison.

The authorities appeased them and lead them out of prison and they went to Lydia’s house and encouraged those who were there.

What a story! Everything from evil spirits to being placed in prison tried to stop Paul and Silas from getting to their place of prayer but in the end it was prayer and praise to God that got them a miracle.

The most important thing we can do is get to our place of prayer.

What is stopping you from getting to your place of prayer?

Deal with whatever it is quickly because when we pray and praise God miracles happen!

Father in Jesus name I cast out anything keeping me from getting to my place of prayer. I know that when I pray and praise you will make miracles happen in my life that will get me to a place of freedom so I can lead others to you and encourage those who are downcast. Thank you in advance for all you do when I let nothing get in the way of praying and praising you! In Jesus name amen

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