DEVOTIONAL

Prayer: Father God, I come to you in all humility acknowledging there is no one like you, for you are the one true living God. Help me to love you more than anything else in the world and teach me your ways and as I come before your throne of grace and mercy, I confess and acknowledge I have sinned against you in thought and deed, today I ask to forgive me and, in your grace, purify my heart, cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. And in your great love lead me and help me to walk in the paths of righteousness, so that I may bring glory to you the one triune God. Lord, have mercy, Christ, have mercy. I now receive your forgiveness and mercy in the name of my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

Scripture Reading for Prayer and Praise: Jeremiah 32:17

"Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm.” Nothing is too hard for you.” 

Worship Song Sung or Said: My Jesus My Saviour (Darlene Zscech)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3JtVj1YWgk

My Jesus, my Savior
Lord there is none like you
All of my days, I want to praise
The wonders of your mighty love
My comfort, my shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You

Shout to the Lord, all the earth let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name
I sing for joy at the work of your hands
Forever I'll love you, forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have
In YOU

My Jesus, my Savior
Lord there is none like You
All of my days, I want to praise
The wonders of your mighty love
My Comfort
My Shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You

Shout to the Lord, all the earth let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of your name
I sing for joy at the work of Your hands
Forever I'll love you, forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have
In YOU

God’s Word for Today: Acts 16:29-34

"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 household 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 household.”                                                                                          

Devotional/Study: (Part 3)

So far, we have seen Paul and Silas cast out a demonic spirit out of a slave girl who was fortune teller. Those who owned her were very angry with Paul and Silas because they were going to lose money out of her fortune telling. So, they grab hold of them and drag them and take them to the magistrates and accuse them of throwing the city into an uproar. And without any trial Paul and Silas end up in prison and there instead of moaning, they pray, praise and worship God. 

When they were worshipping the other prisoners listening must have been thinking, how can these two men who had been beaten pray and sing to God? Over the years I have visited several Christians in prison and seen that in the midst of their suffering they continue to believe and trust In Jesus and worship even when they are troubled, imprisoned and isolated from their friends and families. 

A Christian named Peter was arrested by the secret police in Sudan was accused of spying and trying to overthrow the regime. He was imprisoned for 14 months in five different prisons. In his book imprisoned with ISIS, he shares that one night he was with 12 Eritrean refugees’ teenagers. He said “I was encouraged to preach the Gospel to them. I went there and shared Christ with them. They were deeply touched. In the end, when I saw that their hearts were prepared, I asked them if they wanted to commit their lives to Jesus. So, these 12 Eritrean refugees prayed with me that night because we could not sleep. We spent the rest of the night talking about Jesus.”

Like Paul and Silas God used Peter to witness for Him in the midst of darkness and suffering. God can use us when we are in a bad place if our hearts are right with God.

Someone said Suffering for Christ may be God’s way of showing others that His gospel is working in the lives of His people (Church of Christ Fort Myers Florida). 

While Paul and Silas are singing to God something amazing happened. It was the most dramatic prison breaks of all time! We read in v26 "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.” 

When the jailer woke up, and saw the prison doors open, thinking the prisoners escaped he panicked and drew his sword with the intention of ending his life probably knowing that the authorities would punish him if any prisoner escaped.” 

Luke has already told us in Acts 12:19 that when Peter escaped from prison, Herod "cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.” At this point, this jailer believed he had no hope and was in deep trouble. However, before He could do anything he heard the voice of Paul shout, in the darkness of the cell don’t harm yourself! We are all here v28. Paul and Silas could have escaped but they didn’t instead they chose to stay and help the jailor who put them in wooden stocks. 

These words of Paul must have been an incredible relief to the jailor and released him from some of the fear and tension he was feeling ad the possibility of facing death. He needed that assurance that none of the prisoners escaped and called for the lights to be turned on and then we are told He fell trembling before Paul and Silas v29. This jailor was terrified, trembling with extreme fear. 

Why did the jailor fall down trembling before Paul and Silas? I think the jailor knew he had witnessed something amazing the Prayer and worship of Paul and Silas and the earthquake and seeing their act of Love. These things caused him to see that Paul and Silas were special men who had a faith and a powerful God who had ‘saved’ them. He then brings them out of the inner cell and said one of the important questions in life, what must I do to be saved? This jailer wanted to know the way to be saved. 

This jailer came to point in His life where he realised, his status, wealth, or any of the gods he may have believed could not help or save him. He knew he was lost and needed to be saved. In response Paul and Silas did not tell him what He should do but rather whom to believe in. Paul says to the jailer in v31 "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” This raises a question what does it mean to believe in Jesus? 

At this time Paul and Silas may have introduced Jesus, it was in the next verse we are told "they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.” Its most; likely that Paul expanded what it meant to believe in Jesus and who He was. From a culture that believed in many gods the jailor came to believe in the one God, which shows the power of the message of Christ crucified and resurrection. 

From been someone who locked Paul and Silas in the wooden stocks now in an act of humility and transformation and love, we see the response of the family, we read in v32 "At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.” For this jailer Paul and Silas were not his prisoners anymore, they were his brothers in Christ and now were part of the family of God. I can imagine the joy that this brought to Paul and Silas. 

This jailor who lived a life that was going nowhere, now had a life and purpose and meaning and a life heading for heaven. Brothers and sisters, we may not be in a physical jail, but our soul can be in a place of darkness, fear and anxiety. When we are in that place it can affect our view of God and faith. When we are in that place it can be hard to worship and pray.

Where are you at this time in your walk with God. Are you in a good place or are you in that inner cell of darkness, fear and anxiety? I know it’s not easy when life is stormy, and sometimes it’s really hard to pray and worship, buts it’s in those times our response needs to be one of worshiping God and knowing and believing what Paul believed, "that all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

For Paul and Silas, the situation looked bleak and hopeless, But the Lord turned it into an opportunity to bring people out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Jesus. 

Many years later when Paul was again in prison in Rome, he writes a very warm and tender-hearted letter, to the church in Philippi. He says to them in Philippians 1:12 "Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.” Paul had come to understand all his sufferings and imprisonment in Rome had actually helped him to spread the gospel. In prison he was able to share the gospel with the very soldiers who guarded him. 

Because of Paul and Silas obedience to Gods call in their lives and their love for God even when imprisoned in Philippi, God used them to bring freedom into the life of three people, Lydia, the slave girl and the jailer. Eventually Paul and Silas were released and went back to their first convert Lydia and encouraged the believers there. When Paul and Silas departed from Philippi, they left a new group of believers who had cared for Him and Silas.

The start of the Philippian church is a great reminder that, through the difficulties and sufferings God can bring about something new and exciting.  Brothers and sisters as the second coming of Jesus draws nearer every day, there will be dark days ahead; it may in the form of persecution or just life’s troubles and trials. 

When life is hard, our inner being is not to be rooted in fear or anxiety. Our inner being must be rooted in prayer, worship, and trust that God and a belief he is in control, despite the difficulties we may find ourselves in. Paul and Silas are an example to us how we should respond when we are in a place of darkness. 

Brothers and sisters when we are in a storm and feel overwhelmed, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus for its in him we will find rest and peace above the waves. We know God does not promise to remove our difficulties but just like he was with Paul and Silas in Prison he will be with us. Let us today and always be able to say with Paul what He said Romans 8:18 "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” 

Personal Prayers: