THE PRAYER OF WORSHIP (PART 2) !

THE PRAYER OF WORSHIP (PART 2): Praise was a characteristic of the early Church. In the 16th chapter of Acts we have the story of Paul and Silas in Philippi. We read of their arrest, how they were beaten with many stripes, and how they were cast into prison. (Acts 16:22-25). "And the multitude arose up together against them: and the magistrates rent all their clothes, and commanded them to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely: who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and saying praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them." A SONG AT MIDNIGHT: I want to call special attention to verse 25: ". . . Paul and Silas prayed, and some praises unto God. . ." What did they have two be so happy about that they felt like singing ? Sincerely nothing was going right for them. They had been preaching the Good New of the Gospel and what did they get for it ? A beating and cast into prison ! They were brought before the rulers, charged and beaten, and then cast into prison with their feet placed in stocks or shackles. Their backs were sore and bleeding. Every part of their bodies aching. But did they sit there moaning and complaining, crying, "why did this have to happen to me ?" No. The Bible said they "sang praises unto God." If they had been like some of us today, the Scriptures might have read, "And at midnight Paul and Silas griped and complained, whined and whimpered, wondering why God has allowed this to come upon them." Their conversation might have followed this line: "Paul, you still there ?" "Sure, I'm still here. Where is could I be ?" "I tell you, my poor back is really hurting me. I just don't understand why God ever sent this on us. He knows that I've tried to serve Him and have done my best." That kind of attitude would have just gotten them further into trouble instead of out of it ! We can line something here from Paul and Silas. After all, they were in trouble. Not for something they've done wrong. But for something they had done right ! They were in pain. They were in jail. All in all, it was a bleak situation. One could hardly blame them for being discouraged. However, as someone has said, Paul and Silas God in jail, but they didn't let the jail get in them. This is the reason many people are defeated. Trouble comes to everyone, but our attitude toward it is what makes the difference between victory and defeat. How we look at the situation makes the difference in whether we get our at all are we make the situation worse. Remember, the Scripture says the enemy comes for the Word sake ! In the example of Paul and Silas we can find help for our world midnight hour -- our time of testing -- when the storms of life threaten to sweep us overboard. Paul and Silas weren't in Philippi on a vacation. They were there to do the Lord's work. They weren't of the will of God. The first thing that some people think when adversity strikes is that they surely must be out of the Lord's will or such a thing wouldn't have happened. But Paul and Silas were right in the middle of God's will. If we were meant to measure if we are in God's will by whether or not everything runs smoothly, with no hard places and no sacrifices, then Paul never got in the will of God in his entire ministry --- he missed it from beginning to end ! Let us notice something else in verse 25: "and at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: AND THE PRISONERS HEARD THEM." They weren't quiet about it. They were praising God out loud right there in jail. Not only did the prisoners hear them, but God heard them ! "And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were open, and everyone's bands were loose" (v.26). Deliverance came while the world praising God.