Shake the Foundation of Your Prison


 

Shake the Foundation of Your Prison

By Liz King


    I have just started a bible study called Rooted. Today as I was doing my daily study/homework for the class, I saw something I knew but had never really seen before.  In Acts 16:25-26 I was reading, and it says, "25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose."  Acts 16:25-26 New International Version.

    We all go through trials and tribulations in life.  I have had my fair share.  We can lock ourselves in emotional, physical, and spiritual prisons.  We can place chains or spiritual bonds on ourselves that we see no way of freeing ourselves.  Some bonds are invisible, and you cannot see them or feel them, but they are there.  How many times do we choose to wallow in the fear and uncertainty of our circumstances?  How many times do we give into defeat and hopelessness? How many times do we choose to surrender to lies of the enemy?  How many of us surrender to depression where we see no hope of freedom?  I have many times.  We let the past define us and make that our identity and prison.  We can let our circumstances become our foundation instead of the truth and hope of Jesus.  We live in bondage instead of freedom.

    In Acts, Paul and Silas were imprisoned for the teaching the truth of Jesus Christ. They faced certain death constantly.  They suffered beatings to share the good news of Jesus Christ.  When they sat in prison, they did not wallow in self-pity and defeat, they rejoiced.  They prayed and sang songs about who was in control.  They understood who held the victory!!  Their hope was in God and not man.  Because they turned to God in prayer and praise, they shook the foundations of their prison and their chains that held them there fell off!!! That right there shows the power of prayer and praise!! Isaiah 61:3 NLT says, "To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory." Other translations say Put on a garment of praise to lift a spirit of heaviness.  This shows the power of praise!!!

    Praise in hard circumstances shows in whom you have your trust.  Is your trust in yourself or in God.  We have no power accept what he has granted us.  He is the one ultimately in control of our circumstances.  He also is a God that waits for us to turn to Him.  He wants us to give HIM control of our circumstances and it will be used for his glory.  It will build for us an unshakeable foundation that has eternal reward.  Our earthly prisons are shakable.  So, these foundations can either shake you, or you can shake them by trusting God, praising God knowing that everything we give to him will work out for good if we please him.  We might not see the earthly good at the time, but we know that there will be an eternal good. 

    Paul and Silas's obedience in trusting God and praising God in their circumstances, shook the foundations of the whole prison they were in.  Not only physically, but spiritually!! A whole prison turned to God and the one who was holding them in the prison believed in Jesus.  Then after he believed, his whole family believed. Many were set spiritually free from the bonds and prison, because they saw the power of praise! They saw the result of faith in the power of Jesus.  

      So, if the way we react to our trials and tribulations can have so much power, we need to begin to get in this mindset.  We need to glorify and praise God in all of our trials. We need to understand that Jesus was not weak.  So many pictures and statues show him as thin, frail, or broken.  He is not frail or thin, or defeated!!! He is mighty, powerful, and a conqueror!!! He defeated death!!!! He is AWESOME!!!!  That same power in Jesus is IN YOU!!! if you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ!!  We need to remember he is ultimately in control!!! He can open the doors to our prisons.  He frees us from our chains!  He shakes the foundations of our prisons!!! He frees us.  So instead of choosing to live in a spirit of defeat, let us live in a spirit of freedom and victory!! The victory has already been won!  Let us live in that victory given to us.  

Phillipians 4:4 "Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!"



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