Victory Of Praise Series

Victory of Praise

Text: Acts 16:25-34

Introduction

1. “Praise is prophetic power...to change your circumstances and to lift your burdens. Worship is like a victory cry before the victory.” -Gerald Mullins

2. We often talk about the power of prayer, but we seldom talk about the power of prayer and praise together.

3. St. Augustine said, “He who sings prays twice.”

4. We can praise God amid our hardships, despair, misery, and doubt. It releases the power of God in our lives.

5. Read Acts 16:25-34

Transition: First, it is important that we understand that there is…

I. Power in Prayer and Praise (25-28).

A. Praying and Singing Hymns

1. Let me set the stage for you. Paul and Silas had cast a demon out of a young slave girl, and for their efforts they were without trial publicly stripped, beaten with rods, and then thrown in jail.

2. Now, look at how they responded. In v. 25 it says, “Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.”

a. Now, if we put ourselves in their shoes, we would probably complain, whine, cry, scream, or throw a temper tantrum.

b. Is that what Paul and Silas did? No, they worshipped and prayed…at midnight!

c. Let’s get serious, at midnight, I’m sawing logs, not singing praises. But Paul and Silas understood the power of prayer and praise.

d. “Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.” (Ps. 22:3).

e. And “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty,18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! 19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.” (Hab. 3:17-19).

f. So, they knew that we are in the presence of God in a powerful way when we pray to and praise our God!

g. As they were praying and singing praises to God, notice they had an audience.

h. Luke tells us that the other prisoners were listening. That word listening in the Greek is a powerful word that means “to listen intently.”

i. They definitely had their attention.

3. Then, God got their attention. In v. 26 it says, “Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!”

a. As they were praying and praising, suddenly a massive earthquake happened.

b. While it is true that earthquakes were common in this area, this one was different. Not only did the earthquake rock the area, but it opened the doors to the jail and caused the chains to fall off all the prisoners.

c. Earthquakes can do a lot of damage and cause unusual things to happen, but I’d venture to say that it can’t cause chains to fall of people’s wrists and feet.

d. And it wasn’t just Paul and Silas that they fell off, but every prisoner’s chains fell off.

e. Prayer and praise still have that effect today. It may not cause earthquakes, but it can cause spiritual chains to fall off people.

f. It can cause addictions to be broken, lives to be transformed, and relationships restored!

g. It may not cause a physical earthquake, but it can cause a spiritual earthquake that can turn around a community.

h. It can bring joy, faith, and victory!

4. However, there was another person that this earthquake would change. In vv. 27-28 it says, “The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”

a. The jailer didn’t immediately see this series of events as good news.

b. You see, he was responsible for all these prisoners, and if they escaped, he would be severely punished. He would either have to serve the sentence of the prisoners, or he could be executed.

c. So, when he saw the prison doors opened, he naturally assumed that all of the prisoners had escaped. As a result, he grabbed a sword and was ready to take his own life.

d. But the amazing thing was that none of the prisoners had tried to escape. The doors were all open and the chains had fallen off, but they were all still there.

e. Now, the text doesn’t specifically say, but I think it’s safe to assume they were still there because God had something extraordinary, he wanted to do in this jailer’s life.