“When he (the jailer) received these order, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.”Acts 16: 24-25
It’s slightly ironic that Paul, the original religious terrorist who persecuted the early church would find himself arrested, beaten, and chained to a prison wall because of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What is the Gospel? That Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose again three days later. For the very same message that Paul tried to eradicate as heresy, he was later arrested for sharing with anyone who would listen. Unfortunately, the powers that be in Philippi weren’t interested. So in Acts 16, we find Paul and Silas locked away in a prison cell – their second missionary journey seemed to have come to a halt.
How did Paul and Silas respond? They worshiped and praised God from that cell. Now, this was not the typical response to imprisonment and they quickly attracted the attention of all the other prisoners. Talk about a powerful witness!
How do you respond in times of persecution, discrimination, or just the general ups and downs of life? When obstacles pile up, do you stand firm in your faith and cling to the promises of God or do you cave under the pressure? Ask God for faith like Paul and Silas to praise even in trials of discrimination and persecution.
