Text: Acts 16:16-26
Memory verse:
”God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God.“
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭62‬:‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

In yesterday’s Grace devotional, we saw how the unstoppable power of the Almighty is released when the people of God raise their faith-filled praise to God. Judah begot Perez means, Praise causes Breakthrough.
According to our text today, Paul and Silas were brought under jungle justice and were stripped naked to be striped with rods. They were then leg-chained and cast into the maximum prison. They intended to incapacitate them physically and psychologically with unfair treatment. However, rather than being downcast, Paul and Silas rejoiced for the opportunity to suffer for righteousness. No one could be happy under such a condition because happiness depends, to a large extent, on what happens, but rejoicing comes from within. Rejoicing is based on an inner sense of being right with God and not suffering for committing a crime. Jesus commended this kind of suffering (Matt 5:10).
They were thrown in the inner prison and with guards assigned to the prison, such that there was no chance to escape. Rather than complaining, grumbling and bitter, they turned the darkness of the night to pray and sing praises to God. They turned pain to praise. They turned their eyes from themselves to the Almighty God, whose power is greater than Caesar!
Thus, as they offered this faith-filled and sacrificial praise, the unstoppable power of God came down, to the extent that there was an earthquake. The earthquake was selective so that any other house around the prison didn’t experience the shaking. It didn’t also cause the prison to tumble, but it was evidence of the presence of a greater power. A miracle! The stocks on their legs were loosed, and the prison doors were opened! What a breakthrough!
Friends, God hasn’t changed and He can’t change. Turn your eyes from yourself to the Almighty God, whose power is greater than any man or demon. Turn your night of darkness into your night of light. Turn your pain to praise today.

Prayer points
1. Father, cause Your power to break through every human or satanic embargoes, as I offer the sacrifice of praise in Jesus’ name.
2. Father, I receive grace to turn my focus from myself to You and my pain to praise, in Jesus’ name.

Today’s declarations
1. No prison gate can stop a man of praise.
2. When I turn my focus from my pains to praise, I provoke the Almighty power into my situation.