Powerful Prayer & Praise
A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. —Acts 16:22-24 (NLT)
After being beaten and jailed, you might have thought Paul and Silas were down and out, but about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; (Acts 16:25 NASB1995) Never let the enemy steal your joy. The joy of the LORD is your strength. And your joy is contagious. Continually sing praises to our awesome and Mighty God. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (See James 5:16 NLT) As Paul and Silas were praying and singing praise to God, suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! (See Acts 16:26 NLT)