Prayer and Praise Breaks Chains

In Acts chapter 16 it is talking about Paul and Silas' missionary journeys. Paul had a vision of a man asking him to come to Macedonia. So Paul, Silas, and Timothy set out for Philippi, which was "the leading city of that district of Macedonia"(verse 12). While they were in Philippi, a slave girl with an evil spirit in her followed them around for days. Finally, Paul, by the power in the name of Jesus, cast out that evil spirit. Her owners got mad about it, and took Paul and Silas to the magistrates. After the magistrates had them beaten severely, and publicly, they put them in prison. They were in the inner cell, and their feet were in stocks. Starting in verse 25 it says, "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose."

Despite the awful circumstances, Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God. They were beaten, bloody, and chained up in prison, but they didn't let that get them down. Their joy and their strength does not come from the circumstances in this life anyways. Their joy comes from the Lord. Don't let your circumstances determine your attitude. And remember that prayer and praise breaks the chains. The chains, like in Paul and Silas' case might be literal. But the chains might be a circumstance that is getting you down, or fear or worry about something. We should be continuously praising God and praying to Him, even when it seems like everything is going wrong. In Psalm 37:4-6 it says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." And in Ephesians 5:19 it says, "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

I think it's pretty clear that we should always pray and sing songs of praise to God. It worked for Paul and Silas, and it will work for you today. Praise the Lord! For He is good!!!

God bless!!