And at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them. Acts 16:25
I was standing one day beside the funeral director, during the funeral of a man who had been drowned in the river while trying to recover some of his cattle. The funeral director, standing at the back of the hall, was intently watching the front row with a surprised look on his face, as the congregation sang a hymn. Turning to his assistant, the funeral director whispered, ‘The widow! She’s singing!’ He found it difficult to believe that a woman who had just endured such a tragic shock and loss could have the courage to sing. And yet, that widow was able to rise above her grief and sing, allowing the words of that hymn to comfort her soul and give her hope. She was like the missionaries in our text who refused to allow pain and suffering to interfere with the joy of their salvation.
Paul and Silas were in a bad situation, to put it mildly. They had been falsely accused, unjustly beaten, and wrongly incarcerated. The beatings that they had endured had been severe; these men would have been in severe pain, which no doubt had prevented them from sleeping. It was no wonder that they were awake at midnight. But it was a wonder that they were singing praises to God at midnight. For the rest of the prisoners, this was a most unusual concert. They had seen the two preachers when they came into the prison, and knew how painful their condition was. They could have understood shouts of rage, curses, or even cries of agony. But songs of praise to God? That was amazing! But for Paul and Silas, it was part of what they were, faithful saints who were able to call on their Lord for strength and help even in the bowels of a Roman prison. They had experienced God’s preserving hand before, and they were able to trust him now. Their prayers were evidence of their close communion with their Lord, and their songs of praise were evidence of their appreciation of Him. These men set for us a wonderful example of what God can do for us when we are in painful and trying circumstances.
The example of Paul and Silas reveals to us two great resources that will help us at such times. The first of these is prayer. There is no time and there is no place where prayer is not available to a child of God. The Father’s ear and the Son’s intercession are always ours. Just as Paul and Silas could pour out their hearts to God in the darkness of a prison dungeon, we can find the same comfort in whatever circumstances we meet. Singing praises is not always easy, especially when we are crushed by grief or fear or pain. But few things are as uplifting for our souls as uttering a verse or two of praise to our God for His greatness and for his care for us.
If we can pray and sing today, we can experience the presence and power of God in the trial. -Jim MacIntosh