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Acts 16:25-26 (New King James Version)

"But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed."


Let's set the stage here for a sec: Paul and Silas have been telling people about Jesus all over the place. They're healing people, and setting people free from their addictions and demons. They are very busy doing God's business here on earth... And they're making plenty of enemies. So many enemies, in fact, that they find themselves with their feet in stocks, in the inner prison of the jail house (this will not be the only time) and they're so locked up that absolutely no one is escaping at this point. Close your eyes and picture this though: their feet are bound up in chains, they are sitting on the floor of a smelly, messy, dirty prison with rats running around at their feet, it's the middle of the night, and they love Jesus so much that they are singing songs of praise and worship to Him! They are having their own little praise and worship service in the middle of the night in the dead center of the jail with all the prisoners watching as they praise and sing to their King. If that's not enough to get the heart strings pulled and excited, there is much more to come... they're singing to their Jesus and suddenly there is an earthquake! The prison shakes, the doors fly open, and everyone is free to run like the wind.. no chains around their feet and hands anymore.

Things get shaken up when you praise Jesus in spite of it all. In the middle of the darkest hour of your night, when you feel trapped in your situation at work, or within your family, or you have hit rock bottom with your finances - PRAISE Him. Don't stop. Even if you can barely walk because the chains around your wrists and ankles are weighing you down... praise Him like there is no tomorrow.

There doesn't have to be anything fancy about praising Jesus. Just worship Him. Worship Him. Worship Him. Tell Him you love Him in any situation you find yourself in - chains and all. As you praise Him, your chains will fall off and you will be free.