Worship Anyway—Two2Grow, Wednesday, October 7
Worship Anyway—Two2Grow, Wednesday, October 7
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV
By Emelie Stenhammar, MD
Paul and Silas were in prison in Philippi. They had been put in jail because they had driven a demon out of a slave girl. She was free and probably happy, but the people who thought they owned her were not. When the demon left, so did the powers she had used to bring income to those people.
Not only were Paul and Silas in prison, but they had been beaten up, too. So badly that they had wounds that the prison warder later in the story washed and dressed. But not yet.
When we find them, they are still in prison. In the darkest, deepest place of the prison. With their feet locked in the stocks. It is midnight. So dark you cannot see anything. In pain from a severe beating. Fastened so they can’t move. Dried blood sticking to their skin. Praying.
I think I would have prayed, too, if I found myself in a similar situation. Perhaps complained to the Lord, lamented. “Why have you forsaken me? Avenge my enemies! Deliver me. Lord, my back hurts!!” Etc.
What challenges me, though, is that they didn’t just pray—they were worshiping and singing hymns! They managed, in the midst of all their misery, to lift the eyes of their hearts and see Jesus.
Instead of pitying themselves, they worshiped Jesus! Not because they had been taught that worship is a weapon that makes the enemy flee. Not because worship is a key to freedom. But because God is just so awesome!
In the middle of a crisis, God is still amazing and worthy of our praise—if we can lift our eyes and see Him, we, too, would worship! Our problems might be big, but He holds the universe! And not only does He hold it—He made it! He can do anything—even shake a prison—which is what He did for Paul and Silas.
Jesus, in the midst of the chaos of this life, help me to lift my eyes and see how amazing You are. I don’t want to just keep on telling You about all my problems—I want to lift my eyes and worship You for who You are. Amen.
By Emelie Stenhammar, MD
Paul and Silas were in prison in Philippi. They had been put in jail because they had driven a demon out of a slave girl. She was free and probably happy, but the people who thought they owned her were not. When the demon left, so did the powers she had used to bring income to those people.
Not only were Paul and Silas in prison, but they had been beaten up, too. So badly that they had wounds that the prison warder later in the story washed and dressed. But not yet.
When we find them, they are still in prison. In the darkest, deepest place of the prison. With their feet locked in the stocks. It is midnight. So dark you cannot see anything. In pain from a severe beating. Fastened so they can’t move. Dried blood sticking to their skin. Praying.
I think I would have prayed, too, if I found myself in a similar situation. Perhaps complained to the Lord, lamented. “Why have you forsaken me? Avenge my enemies! Deliver me. Lord, my back hurts!!” Etc.
What challenges me, though, is that they didn’t just pray—they were worshiping and singing hymns! They managed, in the midst of all their misery, to lift the eyes of their hearts and see Jesus.
Instead of pitying themselves, they worshiped Jesus! Not because they had been taught that worship is a weapon that makes the enemy flee. Not because worship is a key to freedom. But because God is just so awesome!
In the middle of a crisis, God is still amazing and worthy of our praise—if we can lift our eyes and see Him, we, too, would worship! Our problems might be big, but He holds the universe! And not only does He hold it—He made it! He can do anything—even shake a prison—which is what He did for Paul and Silas.
Jesus, in the midst of the chaos of this life, help me to lift my eyes and see how amazing You are. I don’t want to just keep on telling You about all my problems—I want to lift my eyes and worship You for who You are. Amen.