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Acts 16:25-32 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. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here." Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten within an inch of their lives, and now their not just in a prison cell, but in stocks, where they can't move. Most people would say, "thanks alot, God, I'm sacrificing and serving You, and this is the Thanks I get?" But no, they're singing songs of praise to God. Anyone can be happy in pleasant circumstances, but real joy comes only from within, and is a gift available to Christians at all times. Then we see the jailer getting his sword out to kill himself, because in those days, the penalty for allowing a prisoner to escape was death. Paul and Silas could've very easily just walked away thinking God was miraculously jailbreaking them like He did Peter. But their concern was more for this jailer than themselves. But somehow the Holy Spirit revealed to them that this one soul was important to God, thus important to them. We see how God's love and grace in the lives of Paul and Silas spoke as loudly as the earthquake he'd just experienced. Pauls answer to the jailers question, "what must I do to be saved?" Sounds almost too easy. Some folks would say, "what about repentance?" But, in this situation, the jailer was already on his knees repenting. So, at the beginning of the chapter, we see the Holy Spirit forbidding Paul to go to Asia or Bithynia. God wanted Paul and his team to go to Troas for several reasons: (1) to pick up Luke, who ended up writing the gospel bearing his name as well as the book of Acts. He also ended up probably being his personal team physician. God said "no" to Pauls ideas because He had much bigger plans for Him. (2) the salvation of this jailer and his family. It reminds me of when Jesus said He MUST go thru Samaria, and it was a Divine appointment with the woman at the well. We never know what kind of divine appointments God has in store for us when He doesn't answer our prayers in the way we think He should. Thank You, Papa God, for not giving me all that I ask for, but all that I need.

other prisoners and the jailer and his family too because the jailer lived in the prison. from where the jailer lived he could see the cells of the prisoners .If we as a group of us would sing and pray to God more often about the things that concern us and the way our government is contolling everything that is wrong.What has been right is now wrong and what was wrong is now right,,,our world is in bad shape,,,,,In the end we christians will win and be in heaven

What a witness-other prisoners hearing them singing and praising god.

I am in awe of Paul and Silas that, through their faith and love for Jesus and the gospel, they still prayed, praised and worshipped God; and preached the Gospel to anyone who would listen. Even the prisoners and jailers were listening. Never stop sharing the word, someone listening needs to hear!

Paul & Silas had peace because of their closeness to God: they KNEW that God sent them there and instead of moping...they concentrated on worship to the Highest, Almighty God! Fellow prisoners heard their testimonies while God gave them the supreme peace to continue their testimonies.....only then could God "open the doors" to the jailer who was charged with their continued imprisonment. Had they not been close to the heart of God, they might have assumed that God shook the prison doors open to just to give them their freedom (it would all be "about them" -- not necessarily the long-term story of the grace of God). Instead they were "in-tune" with the all-powerful, omniscient will of the Almighty God: the salvation (physical & spiritual) ofthe jailer, his family, & the entire community (it was all "about God's grace & glory"!). May I stay close enough to my Higher Power to keep HIS glory in my vision & actions of my everyday life -- even when it seems that "a door is opened for me". May I always keep God & other people's welfare in FRONT OF my own!!

Paul anad Silas' dedication to the Lord sets an example for us all. Even when they had been beaten and had wounds (as indicated in verse 33), they prayed and worshipped the Lord with hyms. This could have brought more beatings but they were going to serve God regardless. Great example for us.

We need to remember that no matter what circumstances you are in if people know you are a Christian they will be watching and listening very closely to what you say and do. Can you imagine being severely beaten and thrown in jail, the pain they must have been in ,yet they prayed and sang hymns. And all the other prisoners were listening ,God was glorified that night.