“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. “At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. “But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!'” (Acts 16:25-28, NIV)
It is axiomatic: When praises to God go up, the power of God comes down.
This is illustrated by today’s scripture. Even in the midst of their pain and the apparent wrongness of their situation (they were doing a good thing, remember, for God, no less, remember) Paul and Silas found reasons to pray and to sing!
Allow your prayer and your praises to God to rise in every circumstance, and you will see the power of God arrive and transform sorrow into joy.
Remember: When our praises go up; God’s power comes down. – Luther