READING: Job 41-42, Acts 16:22-40
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.”
Acts 16:25
For a number of years, I taught discipleship courses at a prison in Kentucky. Each week, I gathered with dozens of prisoners who had become Christians, and who wanted to learn more in order to grow and teach others in the prison. Though their stories were often violent, those men were some of the kindest, most attentive students I have ever taught. They were grateful for anyone coming to teach them, and they were even more grateful for someone to teach them how to walk with God. I cannot guarantee that all the prisoners were Christians, but I sensed that they were. Never once did I experience fear when I was with them.
On the other hand, I don’t know what they would have done if an earthquake opened all the prison doors and an escape route became obvious – like in the Philippian jail in Acts 16. Some of them may have stayed there out of godly obligation, but I doubt all of them would have done so. For some, the temptation would have been too great. Ignoring an open door when the jailer isn’t around would have been more opportunity than they could have handled.
That’s why today’s story in Acts is so incredible. First, Paul and Silas were singing God’s praises while they themselves were in prison. Their faithfulness to God had cost them their immediate freedom, but that result didn’t rob them of their joy. Late in the night, the prisoners listened to them as they “were praying and singing hymns to God” (Acts 16:25). When the earthquake opened the doors, though, the prisoners miraculously and unexpectedly stayed there! Apparently, something they were hearing from Paul and Silas so captured them that they preferred listening to escaping. Though we don’t know how the prisoners responded to the message they heard, we do know the jailer and his family turned to the Lord as a result of this episode: “Right away he and all his family were baptized” (Acts 16:33). Paul and Silas’ imprisonment thus led to the jailer’s spiritual freedom.
As I read this story, I wonder whether I sing loudly enough when life seems hard or unfair. In fact, I wonder if I would sing and pray as strongly as Paul and Silas if I were imprisoned for my faith. I pray I would so that others would hear the gospel in my words.
ACTION STEPS:
- Sing God’s praises loudly today regardless of what you face.
- Pray for prisoners and chaplains serving in your area.
PRAYER: “God, help me to sing in all situations. And, burden me about prisoners in my area.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Psalms 1-3, Acts 17:1-15