“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here” (Act 16:25-28). |
Don't be ashamed to praise God in any situation you are. Rather than give in to self-pity or bitterness, use the season to praise God as Paul wrote in 1Thes 5:18, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” This means praising Him is what God wants you to do in situation like this and that was exactly what Paul and Silas did.
Paul and Silas didn’t praise God out of just fulfilling religious expectation, otherwise the prisoners would not hear them. It was something that came from their heart. Guess who also heard them? God! And he responded appropriately.
Praise belongs to God as he “dwells in the praises of his people.” Praise moves mountains.
Praise is so powerful it can destroy all evil foundations, rebuild broken foundations, close evil doors, open closed doors, and release those bound by the enemy or the world.
The “keeper of the prison” saw that their bonds were loosed, and the doors were opened, and he wanted to kill himself, but Paul and Silas cautioned him. Praise turns your enemies against themselves. Israel was also in a similar situation, “And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten” (2Ch 20:22).
Every spirit on assignment against you, everyone assigned to monitor your incarceration or to make sure you don’t have freedom, God will make them to turn against themselves.
God says in the book of Isa 49:26, “I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine.”
I pray that as you practice praise, the earth will shake and quake concerning you and any prison you may be in will break into pieces in Jesus’ name.
Remember, praise belongs to go. Praise is the food that God eats. Satan may stop your prayers, but he cannot usurp or take what belongs to God.
Start practicing praise and praise your way out of any prison you may be. Experience the miracle in praising God. Use it to break every locks, destroy closed doors, upturn prison foundations, and rebuild all broken walls in your life with your praise. God is waiting for your praise.