February 6, 2024 - Acts‬ ‭16:23-25

“After they [Paul and Silas] were severely beaten, they were thrown into prison and the jailer was commanded to guard them securely. So the jailer placed them in the innermost cell of the prison and had their feet bound and chained. Paul and Silas, undaunted, prayed in the middle of the night and sang songs of praise to God, while all the other prisoners listened to their worship.” Acts 16:23-25 TPT

Lord, Paul and Silas were severely beaten and thrown into jail for doing a miracle in your name. Then bound and chained in the innermost cell, they sat in pain and discomfort. We can’t even imagine how terrible this situation looked. Yet, they didn’t sit and dwell over their injuries, their pain, or their hopeless situation. Even in a terrible place, they chose to focus on you. Lord, grow us to be more like them.

We pray that you would help us learn to both praise you and serve you even when we are in the hopeless and painful “prisons” of our lives. They prayed and praised loudly for everyone to hear. They were a witness and shared your love even from their low place. Many of the letters Paul wrote in the Bible were written from different times he was in prison. Help us learn to focus upward and outward even when we are in hard places. Thank you that healing comes quicker when we are serving others than when we are sitting and focusing on our pain. Our circumstances also change quicker when we do this. Lord, here we see you working as their defender after they praised you. You not only set them free, but you did it in a way that others came to know you. We praise you for being in the business of taking our hopeless situations and turning them all around. We praise you that you will do the impossible for us when we have faith and stay focused on you. You are so good to us. You are worthy of all our praises!

In Jesus name, amen.