The Prisoners' Prayer and Praise
The Prisoners’ Prayer and Praise Acts 16:25-34
Before Jesus left this earth he made this promise that he would never leave us nor forsake us. He said Lo, I am with you always even unto the end of this age.
He also mentioned hat he would not leave us comfortless, for he said if he does not go away the comforter (Holy Spirit) could not come.
We are in Spiritual Warfare - WARFARE the means by which one nation seeks to impose its will upon another by force. An index to the importance of warfare in antiquity is provided by the amount of technical skill directed to perfecting devices for destruction and defense.[1]
The Victors of Any War are usually those who have:
1) Strategize a way to fight
2) They have studied the enemy
3) Check out your artillery (weapons are prepared)
4) You have to be in shape (Terrain or grounds) Air, Sea, Land
5) Preparation for war usually happens during peace time
Ephesians 6:10-12
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the Power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh in blood, but against principalities (places, territories), against powers (controls, influences), and against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness (abominations, satan worship, cults, perversions) in high places.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 dFor the weapons eof our warfare are not 1carnal but fmighty in God gfor pulling down strongholds, 5 hcasting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God[2]
When we came to Jesus, I didn’t think:
People would hate me for being saved even in the church and in my own community and within my own family
People would conspire against you to see you go down rather than up.
People would want to do harm and if they could not get to you they would go after your family.
People would talk behind your back waiting for you to see you fall.
But the good news is that you keep coming back. I may fall but I am coming back. I may cry but I am coming back. I may have to craw on my knees to the altar but I got to keep coming. You may start the 10 count but before they say 10 I’ll rise right back up again.
There are weapons that you have in your arsenal that are so powerful. I can only share two. Prayer and Praise
Tyndale’s Bible Dictionary states this about the weapons and armour of warfare
The three basic elements of the art of warfare are mobility, firepower (prayer and praise), and security (shield of faith). Weapons alone seldom determined the issue of battle, particularly when both sides were evenly matched. The skill with which strategy and tactics were deployed, the spirit of the commander in directing his troops, and the precision with which the troops handled their weapons were decisive factors in many of the battles mentioned in the Bible.[3]
Prayer- E. M. Bounds states that Prayer is your direct application, interaction and communion with God. Prayer then gets God to move on your behalf to fulfill the purposes of God. God is saying that whatever you need to do my will all you have to do is ask and I will do it.
Psalms 34:17-18 says the righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all of their troubles.
When you know what you know what you know can’t nothing stop the prayer that you pray to God. Object of my prayer is God and when I kneel, stand, lie down or sit to pray, I expect God to meet me in my prayer.
Should be offered up
a. In the Holy Spirit. Eph 6:18; Jude 1:20.
b. In faith. Mt 21:22; Jas 1:6.
c. In full assurance of faith. Heb 10:22.
d. In a forgiving spirit. Mt 6:12.
e. With the heart. Jer 29:13; La 3:41.
f. With the whole heart. Ps 119:58,145.
g. With preparation of heart. Job 11:13.
h. With a true heart. Heb 10:22.
i. With the soul. Ps 42:4.
j. With the spirit and understanding. John 4:22-24; 1Co 14:15.
k. With confidence in God. Ps 56:9; 86:7; 1Jo 5:14.
l. With submission to God. Lu 22:42.
m. With unfeigned lips. Ps 17:1.
n. With deliberation. Ec 5:2.
o. With holiness. 1Ti 2:8.
p. With humility. 2Ch 7:14; 33:12.
q. With truth. Ps 145:18; Joh 4:24.
r. With desire to be heard. Ne 1:6; Ps 17:1; 55:1,2; 61:1.
s. With desire to be answered. Ps 27:7; 102:2; 108:6; 143:1.
t. With boldness. Heb 4:16.
u. With earnestness. 1Th 3:10; Jas 5:17.
v. With importunity. Ge 32:26; Lu 11:8,9; 18:1-7.
w. Night and day. 1Ti 5:5.
x. Without ceasing. 1Th 5:17.
y. Everywhere. 1Ti 2:8.
z. In everything. Php 4:6.
20. Accompanied with
a. Repentance. 1Ki 8:33; Jer 36:7.
b. Confession. Ne 1:4,7; Da 9:4-11.
c. Self-abasement. Ge 18:27.
d. Weeping. Jer 31:9; Ho 12:4.
e. Fasting. Ne 1:4; Da 9:3; Ac 13:3.
f. Watchfulness. Lu 21:36; 1Pe 4:7.
g. Praise. Ps 66:17.
h. Thanksgiving. Php 4:6; Col 4:2.
29. Postures in
a. Standing. 1Ki 8:22; Mr 11:25.
b. Bowing down. Ps 95:6.
c. Kneeling. 2Ch 6:13; Ps 95:6; Lu 22:41; Ac 20:36.
d. Falling on the face. Nu 16:22; Jos 5:14; 1Ch 21:16; Mt 26:39.
e. Spreading forth the hands. Isa 1:15.
f. Lifting up the hands. Ps 28:2; La 2:19; 1Ti 2:8.
[4]
PRAISE. In the OT the words for praise mainly used are hālal, the root meaning of which is connected with making a noise; yādâ, which was originally associated with the bodily actions and gestures which accompany praising; and zāmar, which is associated with the playing or singing of music. In the NT eucharistein (lit. ‘to give thanks’) is the favorite word, implying on the part of the person who praises the attitude of one more intimate with the person praised than in the more formal eulogein, ‘to bless’.
The whole of the Bible is punctuated with outbursts of praise. They rise spontaneously from the ‘basic mood’ of joy which marks the life of the people of God. God takes pleasure and delight in his works of creation (Gn. 1; Ps. 104:31; Pr. 8:30–31), and all creation, including the angels, expresses its joy in praise (Jb. 38:4–7; Rev. 4:6–11). Man also was created to rejoice in God’s works (Ps. 90:14–16) and fulfils this purpose by accepting God’s gifts (Ec. 8:15; 9:7; 11:9; Phil. 4:4, 8; cf. also W. Eichrodt, Man in the Old Testament, 1951, p. 35). Therefore praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. … In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him’[5]
Yet praise to God is frequently commanded from men as a duty and is obviously not meant to depend on mood or feeling or circumstances (cf. Jb. 1:21). To ‘rejoice before the Lord’ is part of the ordered ritual of the common life of his people (Dt. 12:7; 16:11–12), in which men encourage and exhort one another to praise. Though there are psalms which express the praise of the individual, it was always felt that praise could best be rendered within the congregation (Pss. 22:25; 34:3; 35:18), where praise not only gives honor and pleasure to God (Ps. 50:23) but also bears testimony to God’s people (Ps. 51:12–15).
Elaborate arrangements were made for the conduct of praise in the Temple by the Levites. The Psalms were used in the liturgy and in sacred processions with ‘glad shouts and songs’ (Ps. 42:4). The singing was probably antiphonal, involving two choirs, or soloist and choir. Dancing, from earliest times a means of expressing praise (Ex. 15:20; 2 Sa. 6:14), was also used in the Temple to this end (Pss. 149:3; 150:4). Ps. 150 gives a list of musical instruments used in the praise
[6]
Those who praise God usually got their victory.
Now Paul and Silas were prisoners in jail: Supposedly they had no freedoms, were waiting for trial, and confined. Couldn’t make a phone call, but they began to make a call. At midnight the jail shook b
[7]
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[1]Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. 2001. Tyndale Bible dictionary. Tyndale reference library . Tyndale House Publishers: Wheaton, Ill.
d Eph. 6:13
e 1 Cor. 9:7; [2 Cor. 6:7]; 1 Tim. 1:18
1 of the flesh
f Acts 7:22
g Jer. 1:10; [2 Cor. 10:8; 13:10]
h 1 Cor. 1:19
[2]The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 . Thomas Nelson: Nashville
[3]Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. 2001. Tyndale Bible dictionary. Tyndale reference library . Tyndale House Publishers: Wheaton, Ill.
[4]Torrey, R. 1995, c1897. The new topical text book : A scriptural text book for the use of ministers, teachers, and all Christian workers. Logos research Systems, Inc.: Oak Harbor, WA
OT Old Testament
NT New Testament
lit. literally
cf. confer (Lat.), compare
[5]Wood, D. R. W., Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. 1996, c1982, c1962. New Bible Dictionary. Includes index. (electronic ed. of 3rd ed.) . InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove
cf. confer (Lat.), compare
[6]Wood, D. R. W., Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. 1996, c1982, c1962. New Bible Dictionary. Includes index. (electronic ed. of 3rd ed.) . InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove
[7]Wood, D. R. W., Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. 1996, c1982, c1962. New Bible Dictionary. Includes index. (electronic ed. of 3rd ed.) . InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove