Experiencing God's Presence #215

Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God.

Acts 16:25

Paul and Silas had been beaten brutally in a punishment that normally left its victims with broken bones and internal bleeding. But instead of trying to recover in a comfortable bed, they had to spend the night on a stone floor with their feet clamped in stocks designed to inflict further pain. Their response? They prayed and sang hymns loud enough for other prisoners to hear.

The result was an earthquake that shook the prison, broke chains, and opened doors—physically and spiritually. God showed up in power. He heard the worship of His servants and rose up to defend them. He used them to change lives and impact a city.

Would God have showed up as powerfully if Paul and Silas had had a negative attitude during their long, painful night? We don’t know. But we do know that God responds in unusual ways to the praises of His people. He defeated a coalition of three armies when Jehoshaphat and Judah’s people praised Him in battle, and He responded in such glory when the nation praised Him at Solomon’s dedication of the Temple that the priests couldn’t even stand up. Whether in peace or under stress, we are in sync with God when we worship Him. And His Presence comes.

Worship creates a pathway for God’s Presence and power. Praising Him is like rolling out a red carpet for Him into the middle of your circumstances. Whatever situation you face today will have to bow in His Presence when you bow in His Presence. When you acknowledge the power of God, you acknowledge the impotence of your problems, and God responds to such faith. His Presence accompanies your praise.

Lord, I choose to worship You in every circumstance. I know You will respond to my praise, sometimes visibly and sometimes invisibly. But either way, Your Presence is real when my heart is in sync with the truth of Your glory.

From the book