HH Sir Godfrey Gregg D.Div

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” –Acts 16:29-31

You will notice here that the two prisoners did not say believe in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost? Hallelujah, there is something in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is by that name every knee will bow and every tongue confesses the He is Lord.

What a random question for a jailer to ask two prisoners. But these weren’t just any two prisoners. Paul and Silas had been arrested, flogged, and thrown into a prison cell, yet with their feet in stocks, they were “praying and singing hymns to God” (Acts 16:25). As if their behaviour wasn’t strange enough, an earthquake shook the prison, causing every prisoner’s chains to fall off, but remarkably, no prisoner fled. After all, this guard’s life would have been on the line if they had. No wonder the jailer wanted to know how he could be saved.

When we worship in the dark as Paul and Silas did — in the midst of pain, loss, fear, uncertainty, sickness, or death — people notice. When we bless the Name of the Lord, whether He gives us the desires of our hearts or takes something precious from us, people notice. God can use our praise to move in their hearts, and we may find their voices joining ours in the heartfelt worship of the one true God.

Hallelujah, the little seed we planted in the darkness of the soil is preparing to come to life. Just like how you go to the secret room in the darkness to pray and seek the face of Almighty God to come out a better person. Unfortunately, some go in and came out nothing because the cares of the world have eaten the very life in the seed and it rotted and died. Oh, what a lesson we are learning today from two prisoners bound in chains like us bound in the chains of legalism, sin and shame. It is time for us to shout and worship in the darkness of our lives and ask God to break the chains and set us free.

“I Worship God for who He is and what He has done for me.”

Prayer

Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done. – Luke 22:42
Does prayer seem useless to you? Perhaps you see others’ prayers answered time and again while yours remain unanswered. Maybe you find yourself thinking, God has everything set in motion to accomplish His plan, so what’s the point of praying? It won’t change His mind. Jesus feels your pain. Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane failed to change God’s mind. Jesus knew God’s plan was set in stone before He prayed, but it didn’t hinder Him from pouring out His heart until He sweated drops of blood. Through humbling Himself in prayer, Jesus surrendered to the Father’s will. In turn, I believe the Father instilled in Him the courage and strength He needed to accept the horrific death on the Cross.

Keep fervently praying and asking God to answer your prayers.

Even if He doesn’t answer the way you had hoped, He will give you the courage and strength to face whatever challenge is before you.

“I pray to God to know Him, to find direction for my life, and to lay my requests before Him.”