Day 15 - Make Your Praises Known

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them… Acts 16:25

One of the memorable stories in the New Testament is the account of Paul and Silas singing praises to God from jail at midnight. Acts chapter 16 tells the story of Paul and Silas in the Roman city of Philippi. Because Paul had cast out a demon from a fortune teller, her owners had become enraged. They made money off her fortune telling. When Paul cast the demon out of her, she lost her ability. Her owners brought Paul and Silas before the city rulers as disturbers of the social order. The city turned against them, beat them with rods, and threw them into prison. Acts says that at midnight they sang hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners listened to them.

This story becomes the occasion for the conversion of the jailer and his family. God sent an earthquake, which loosened the bonds of all the prisoners. This terrified the jailer whose responsibility it was to keep his prisoners safe. When Paul realized he was on the verge of killing himself, he called out to him. In the ensuing conversation, the jailor converted to the faith and was baptized along with his entire household.

We marvel at the courage of Paul and Silas to be able to praise God after what would certainly have been a severe beating. No doubt their bodies ached horribly. Perhaps they were awake at midnight because their wounds would not let them sleep. Instead of complaining, however, they sang praises to God. Their prayers and praises became the occasion for the conversion of not only the jailer, but his entire family.

Most of us would admit to complaining too much. The little troubles of life get us down. If we thought about it, they are mostly small irritations, not crises of major proportions. Paul and Silas put us to shame. We have great reason to give thanks. It is to our shame that we do not do so more often.

Today remember to give thanks to God. As an exercise, think of ten to fifteen things you have to be thankful for. Lift up your heart in praise to God. He is truly good and has been good to you. Whatever troubles you have at the moment might, in the providence of God, work for your good and the good of others, as did Paul and Silas’s night in the prison.