Goodbook messages arrive every Monday, Thursday, and
Friday with a Scripture reading and ideas for how to apply the reading in our
lives. We are reading through the book of Acts. For additional Scripture
reading, you can follow the Advanced Track.Reading: Acts 16:25-26
(Advanced Track: Proverbs 4-12)
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.
Application:
In the last devotion I mentioned that prayer and song are powerful. Here we get a glimpse of just how powerful they can be. God responded to their praying and singing in such a powerful way that the foundations of the prison were shaken, the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.
I believe our world could use more praying and singing like this. There are so many prisons and chains that people are in – the prison of debt, the chains of addiction, the prison of despair, the chains of depression, the prison of abuse, the chains of low self-image, the prison of injustice, the chains of selfishness, the prison of fear, the chains of doubt, the prison of guilt, the chains of shame. I could keep going and going. I’m sure you could to.
What prisons and chains do you find yourself in? Can you think of others who are in some sort of prison or chains? Imagine what could happen if all of God’s people started praying and singing for God to shake the foundations of our lives, open prison doors, and loosen the chains. God would rock our world!
Thursday, May 3 was the national day of prayer. If you did not take time to pray yesterday, set aside some time today to pray earthshaking prayers.
1) Lift up your personal prisons and chains. Pray for God to shake things up in your life, open prison doors, and loosen chains. Pray for God’s help to become free and for God’s guidance to stay free.
2) Lift up people in your life who are dealing with prisons and chains. Pray for God to shake things up in their life, open prison doors, and loosen chains. Pray for God to help them become free and stay free. Ask how you might be a source of encouragement and support on their journey to freedom.
3) Lift up the prisons and chains in our world. Pray for God to shake things up in our world, open prison doors, and loosen chains. Ask God how you can be an earth shaker and help destroy the chains that bind and lead others to freedom in Christ.
4) Pray with others. Paul and Silas prayed together. I believe there is power when we join together in prayer and song. Gather with a group or gather online to pray these kinds of prayers. Maybe we could pick a time to pray together as a Goodbook group. Any suggestions for a time?
Share your thoughts, questions, and ideas about how to apply this…
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