25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. (ESV)

35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” 38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. 39 So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40 So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

As believers, eyes and ears are on us – perhaps more than we can imagine. Unconverted people are listening to our words (songs even) of testimony, and they are watching our lives. Not least, they sometimes get to see how we handle adversity. Paul and Silas had been unjustly treated, as verses 35 -39 show. They must have been in great pain and discomfort after their beatings. But ”About midnight…they were praying and singing hymns to God”. This whole episode in their lives shows God actively bringing good out of bad.

‘Paul did not use his Roman citizenship to protect himself from pain…but later he used it to protect the new church (vv.35-40). When you hurt ask God to give you songs in the night.’ Warren Wiersbe

‘Paul was perfectly justified in insisting upon his civil rights when he had the opportunity, Acts 16:37 . It made the way easier for his new converts.’ F.B. Meyer

Upon reading this passage, Jilly observed, ‘Things can change in a flash!’ Indeed they can. Many of our prayer ‘seeds’ seem to lie under the frozen earth during long, dark winter seasons, before we see their eventual ‘flowering’. But other miracles occur dramatically. Even as we pray, we find that Peter is at the door, and we can scarcely believe it!

Knowing something of these two men, we are not surprised by what we read in verse 40. In spite of their own sufferings, their hearts were to go and encourage the new church.

PRAYER: Lord, give me a heart to think of others before myself, and put their welfare first, regardless of what I may be facing.