Acts 16: Will You Sing Praises To God?
Verse of the Day: (V25) “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”
1. Servants (V1-18)
V16 “And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:”
Even a young slave girl, who had a spirit of divination from the devil (that brought much wealth to her masters through her fortune telling), could proclaim that Paul and Silas were servants of the most high God. Indeed, the devil and his evil spirits cannot deny God and His salvation even though they shall one day be condemned to the fiery hell.
V17 “The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.”
2. Sang (V19-26)
V25 “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”
When God through Paul cast out the spirit of divination from the girl, her masters were furious because they would lose their source of income from her fortune telling. The masters brought Paul and Silas to the unbelieving Roman rulers who imprisoned them for inciting trouble in the city by preaching the gospel. Though Paul and Silas were imprisoned and in trouble, yet they prayed and sang praises to God because they knew that they were suffering for Christ’s sake. God then sent a great earthquake to free them.
V26 “And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.”
3. Saved (V27-40)
V27 “And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.”
Even when Paul and Silas were freed, they were concerned about the soul of the prison keeper who was about to kill himself because he knew that he had failed in his duty. Paul and Silas shared the gospel to him, and then his family, and they were saved and baptized.
V31 “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to sing praises to You even when I am in trouble.
