Expository Sermon: “Thanksgiving at Midnight”
(Lesson from Paul and Silas inside a Prison Jail)
Text: Acts 16:16-40
Theme: Thanksgiving isn’t just for the good times—it’s the key to unlocking God’s power in the hardest moments of life.
Key Text: Acts 16:25 – “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.”
Illustration Story:
In June 2018, I had the incredible opportunity to return to the Philippines after seven years. It was a special time for me, not only because I was going back home but also because I was fortunate to be part of a ministry that truly deepened my faith. Someone graciously sponsored my round-trip flight, which I saw as a blessing and confirmation of God’s hand in this mission.
During that time, I experienced firsthand the joy and challenges of serving God. We were immersed in His work, from conducting Bible studies to building relationships with the people we met. One moment stands out vividly in my mind. We needed to cross a river to reach a community eager to hear God’s Word. The only way across was a bamboo raft. It wasn’t easy, but we pushed through, knowing the purpose behind our efforts. It was humbling yet fulfilling to see how God used simple means to accomplish His will.
As glad as we were to be part of this ministry, I can’t help but reflect on the story of Paul and Silas. While we faced challenges, they endured imprisonment simply for proclaiming the Word of God. Their faith and resilience inspire me, as they continued to pray and sing praises even in the darkest of situations. It’s a reminder that serving God isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it.
Let us Pray
Shifting the Focus to Praise
Church, let me ask you something—how do you respond when life gets hard? When the pressure mounts, when the walls close in, and when it feels like there’s no way out? Most of us want to cry out, “Why me, Lord?” But today, I want to challenge you to shift your focus.
Let’s look at Paul and Silas. These two men were beaten, chained, and thrown into prison—not for doing wrong, but for doing right.
Yet, in the darkest moment of their lives, they didn’t complain. They didn’t wallow in self-pity. They worshiped. They sang praises to God in their midnight hour, and it shook the very foundation of their prison.
This story isn’t just about a miraculous earthquake; it’s about what happens when we choose thanksgiving in the midst of trials.
I. Trials Will Come (Acts 16:16-24)
Let’s dive into the story. Paul and Silas were on a mission—preaching the Gospel, casting out demons, and setting people free. But in verse 19, everything takes a turn. After they cast out a spirit of divination from a slave girl, her owners, angry at losing their profits, seize Paul and Silas and drag them before the authorities.
The crowd joins in the attack. The magistrates order them to be stripped, beaten with rods, and thrown into the inner prison with their feet in stocks.
Listen to me, church: Trials will come. Following Jesus doesn’t exempt you from hardship. Sometimes it brings it! Paul and Silas weren’t in prison because they sinned—they were there because they obeyed God.
Jesus Himself said in John 16:33, “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Application: Don’t be surprised when trials come. Expect them. But don’t let them break you. If God allows a trial in your life, He has a purpose for it.
II. Thanksgiving in the Darkest Hour (Acts 16:25)
Now let’s look at verse 25: “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.”
Midnight isn’t just a time of day—it’s the darkest hour. It’s the moment when all hope seems lost. Paul and Silas were in pain, locked in the inner prison, their feet fastened in stocks.
Yet what did they do? They prayed. They sang hymns. They chose thanksgiving.
Church, hear this: Thanksgiving is not about your feelings—it’s about your faith. Anybody can praise God on the mountaintop, but true faith is when you can sing in the valley.
Paul and Silas didn’t praise God for the prison—they praised Him in the prison. They knew their God was bigger than their chains, and their faith wasn’t based on their circumstances.
Application: What’s your midnight, church? Is it sickness? Financial struggles? A broken relationship? Whatever it is, don’t let the darkness silence your praise.
Lift your voice. Sing your song. Praise God, not because the trial is over, but because you trust Him in the middle of it.
III. God’s Power Is Released Through Thanksgiving (Acts 16:26-30)
Look at what happens next in verse 26: “Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were loosed.”
Church, listen: Thanksgiving shakes foundations! When Paul and Silas worshiped, God moved. Their thanksgiving didn’t just set them free—it broke the chains of everyone around them.
And it didn’t stop there. The jailer, who moments earlier was ready to take his own life, falls trembling before Paul and Silas and asks, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Catch this, church: Your praise has power—not just for you, but for the people around you. When you choose to worship in your midnight hour, you testify to the world that your God is greater than your trial.
That jailer and his entire family were saved because two men chose to praise God instead of despair.
Application: Don’t underestimate the power of your praise. It can break spiritual chains in your life and in the lives of others. Your worship is a weapon. Thanksgiving unlocks God’s power.
IV. God’s Justice and Encouragement (Acts 16:35-40)
Now, look at how the story ends. In the morning, the magistrates send word to release Paul and Silas quietly. But Paul refuses. He demands justice—not for revenge, but to protect the young church and vindicate the Gospel.
And what do Paul and Silas do after they’re released? Verse 40 says they went to Lydia’s house, encouraged the believers, and then departed. They didn’t let the trial stop them—they kept moving forward.
Here’s the lesson, church: God doesn’t just deliver you from trials—He equips you to encourage others. Your testimony of thanksgiving can strengthen someone else’s faith.
Illustration: Richard Wurmbrand – Praising God in the Prison
Church, let me tell you about a man named Richard Wurmbrand—a pastor in Romania during the brutal communist era. He was arrested and imprisoned, not for committing a crime, but for preaching the Gospel. His "offense"? Sharing the love of Jesus in a nation where faith in God was forbidden.
In prison, Wurmbrand was subjected to unimaginable torture. They beat him, starved him, and locked him away in solitary confinement for years. Most of us would crumble under such circumstances, but Wurmbrand did something remarkable: he praised God in his prison.
Let me tell you what he did every night in his cold, dark cell. He preached sermons—not to a congregation, but to God. He sang hymns—not to an audience, but to his Savior. He later recalled, “Alone in my cell, I composed and delivered over 350 sermons.” Can you imagine that? Instead of despairing, he turned his prison into a pulpit!
Church, this is what faith looks like in the midnight hour. Wurmbrand didn’t praise God because he was free—he praised God while he was in chains.
And like Paul and Silas, his testimony didn’t stay locked up. After he was released, he shared his story with the world, becoming a beacon of hope and faith for persecuted Christians everywhere.
Here’s the lesson: Your praise has power, even in the darkest circumstances. When you choose to worship God in your prison—whatever that prison looks like—you declare that He is greater than your trial. And just like Wurmbrand, your praise can inspire others and bring glory to God.
So, Church, what’s your prison? Whatever it is, don’t let it steal your song. Lift your voice, and let your praise shake the foundation of your trials. Amen!
Conclusion: Thanksgiving in Trials Unlocks God’s Power
Paul and Silas teach us that thanksgiving isn’t just for good times. It’s for the midnight hours, the darkest valleys, and the hardest trials.
When you choose to praise God in the middle of your pain, you invite His power into your situation.
Chains break. Foundations shake. Lives are transformed.
So let me ask you: What’s your midnight? What trial are you facing right now? Don’t let it silence your praise.
Lift your voice, sing your song, and watch God work.
Altar Call: Step Into Thanksgiving
If you’re in a midnight hour today, I’m inviting you to come forward.
Bring your burden to Jesus. Let’s worship together. Let’s thank Him—not because the trial is over, but because we trust Him in the middle of it.
Chains will break. Lives will change. And God will be glorified. Amen!
