Acts 16: 23-26
23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.
24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
The Philippian Jailer Saved
25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
26 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 chains were loosed.
Paul and Silas was threw into prison for casting a spirit of divination out of a slave girl. Then the girl followed Paul and Silas crying out and saying "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.
Because of this her master became angry because he was losing money from her fortune telling. So, he convinced the town to have them both thrown in prison.
Prison Of That Day
1. Dark
2. Damp
3. Stunk
Paul and Silas prayed Paul and Silas sung hymns to God
Praise Elevates us into God's Presence and Power
Through praise and worship their hearts were raised into the joyous presence and peace of God, and provided God a channel for his power to operate in their circumstances.
Psalms 22:3
But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
God dwells in the atmosphere of His praise. The means that Praise is more than a reaction of coming into His presence....praise to God is a vehicle of faith which takes us into His presence and power! Praise and worship is like a path to the gates of God's glory.
Psalms 100:4
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
This corresponds with Jesus teaching, that His presence will inhabit the gathering of believers who congregate in His name.
Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” A gathering in His name - Means that Jesus must be the focus, the center of the assembly.
Hebrews 2:12
saying: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.”
What Is Praise?
Praise means to commend, to applaud or magnify.
Psalms 89:15
Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance.
There are many actions involved with praise to God - verbal expressions of adoration and thanksgiving, singing, playing instruments, shouting dancing, lifting or clapping our hands.
True praise is not merely going through these motions. Jesus spoke about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, whose worship was only on outward show and not from the heart.
Matthew 15:8
‘These people [a]draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. Genuine praise to God is a matter of humility and sincere devotion to the Lord from within.
John 4:23
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Praise To God Is A Lifestyle
Psalms 24:1
The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.
Hebrews 13:15
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
Praise Sends The Enemy Running
Since praise manifests God's presence, we also realize that praise repels the presence of the enemy, Satan. And atmosphere which is filled with sincere worship and praise to God by humble and contrite hearts is disgusting to the Devil.
Psalms 50:23
Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.”
2 Chronicles 20:22
Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.