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In the Acts of the Apostles, we read how the apostles went from city to city teaching people about the risen Christ. Usually, the people listened to the apostles and welcomed their message. But on one particular occasion, Paul and Silas were met with hostility; they were beaten and then thrown into prison. Picturing them sitting in a cell with their feet chained to a stake, we might expect that they panicked. We could relate to them if they agonized about what else could possibly go wrong. We could even understand if they ranted at God and questioned how He could allow them to be arrested while they did His work.
But that’s not what they did. As Paul and Silas sat in their cell, they prayed out loud and sang hymns to God while the other prisoners listened. They were such a non-threat to the jailer that he fell asleep at his post.
Paul and Silas may have first felt panic, worry, anger, and the other difficult emotions we naturally feel when we find ourselves in a painful situation; we don’t know. But we can follow their example and make a decision to turn our hearts and thoughts to our Lord when the going gets tough and ask Him to help us get through it.
It’s a choice we can make. When we’re in a crisis, we can either let ourselves get into a tizzy – and stay there – or we can pray and praise God even with those difficult emotions. We can use our praying or singing to ask God to help us carry our pain. We can continue to praise Him for His goodness and His love for us, confident that He’ll support us through every struggle.
This may be difficult to do. We so easily get dragged down into despair! However, if we make it a habit to pray and praise God when things are going relatively smoothly, then it will be more natural for us to do so when life overwhelms us. That’s one reason why Paul writes, “Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks…” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18).
Praying and praising God might not take away our struggle, but doing so will help us focus less on the problem and more on the loving compassion of God. We’ll remind ourselves that He will never abandon us, and that reassurance may help ease our burden. We might ask Him, “Now what do I do?” We can listen for direction from Him, spoken either through the people around us or in the thoughts and feelings that come to us. Maybe there will be something we can do to remedy the situation, and maybe not. Either way, we can trust our Lord to lead us through every challenge. We just have to ask Him.
“About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened…” – Acts 16:25
Let all I do be with You, for You, and because of You.
Thank you for reading my reflection. All thanks to God for giving me the ideas and guiding my words! © 2025 Gina Bedell
Through these reflections, I invite you, the reader, to reflect on a given topic and then seek deeper answers through prayer, additional spiritual reading, and/or consultation with clergy or other qualified persons in order to grow in your faith and understanding of God’s love and will for your life.
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P.S.
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