The Bible narrates an inspiring story of Paul and Silas in prison. We can find this story in the book of Act 16:22- 34, and there is a lot of lessons for us to learn from it.
Paul and Silas proved their faith in Jesus as they were in prison suffering because of preaching the word of God and casting out the evil spirits from those who were possessed. It is written in Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
When we are being persecuted because of the good works we do for others, we should understand that God is with us and will never leave us nor forsake us. As we stand firmly on God’s word, the power of the kingdom of heaven will be released upon us here on earth to accomplish His plans for us.
These are some of the inspiring lessons we can learn from this gospel:
1). There is power in praise
The Bible says that God inhabits in the praises of His people- Psalm 22:3. Praises activate and move the power of God into action among us. The power of God through the Holy Spirit is revealed in our lives. Paul and Silas were bound with chains and thrown in prison after they were beaten so badly by the Romans.
They were helpless because no one could rescue them but when they began to praise God, suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains became loose- Acts 10:26.
Our God is always with us and He will save us from any situation in which we find ourselves. I encourage each and every one of you today, to know that God has given us the weapon of praise to overcome any situation we might face in our lives. Let us praise Him in any situation, for as we do that the power of God will be shown so strong among us.
2). Prayer always prevails
The importance of prayer can never be neglected in our lives. As believers in Christ, we have to follow the examples of Jesus, He never did anything without praying. This is because prayer is the key to our victory. Jesus started with prayer and ended up in prayer.
We came to Jesus through prayer, received our deliverance through prayer. Our relationship with Jesus is through prayer and His power is revealed to us through prayer. We can change any situation as we pray.
This actually happened in the life of Paul and Silas when they were thrown into prison, as they prayed to God, they were delivered and set free from prison. This helps us understand that in whatever situation we find ourselves. As we pray, we will receive answers to our prayers. So we should be prayerful in every area of our lives.
3). Win souls into the kingdom of God
Every moment we have should be used to win souls into the kingdom of God, We have to utilize every opportunity and situation in our lives to share the gospel with those we meet. Show the love of God to people, tell them about Jesus, and save their lives. As they see the things God is doing in your life, tell them that Jesus loves them and wants to do the same things in their lives too.
In Act 16:27 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.
Paul utilized the opportunity to save the jailer and His household, winning them into the kingdom of God. We should all do the same in our lives today. Amen.