Today’s Encouragement is Acts 16:25 ESV About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
Praying and Singing –
Paul and Silas are beaten, jailed, and put into stocks (v23-24) because they had freed a slave girl who was possessed by an evil spirit(v16-18). They did a miracle in Jesus’ Name and were beaten and locked up for it.
It would be only logical to be slightly bitter about this result! Most of us would have said to God, “Hey, wait a minute, what’s going on here?” Yet, there is no evidence that they ever questioned God’s plan. Perhaps they knew that He wasn’t finished! (He never is finished working in and through the lives of His people!)
Pause with me. Can you envision yourself here? Suffering, unjustly accused, tortured, abused, freedom gone… and still – praying and singing to God?
But God’s not finished…!
Acts 16:26 ESV “and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately, all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.”
My friend, when we pray and praise God with songs, when we thank Him in the midst of our suffering, just or unjust, at midnight or at noon, with or even without expectation, He is God (still and always). He always hears our prayer! He always listens to us as we sing His praises! Because we are His!
Father, we are so very grateful to be Your people. Help us to pray and worship You at all times, good and bad, knowing that You are not finished with us. Instead, You are watching over us.
Angels Watching Over Me
Amy Grant
Today’s Encouragement 