January 10-16 Family Devotions
Part 1
Week of January 10 – 16
Acts 16 (Paul and Silas in Prison)
Paul and Silas were travelling from town to town telling everyone they met about the Good News of Jesus and how much he loves each one of us.
They weren’t doing anything wrong, but some people didn’t like what they were saying, and they stirred up trouble against Paul
and Silas.
An angry crowd drug Paul and Silas to the town’s leaders and said, “These guys are teaching things that are against our laws.” Then the crowd demanded that the leaders have Paul and Silas beaten and thrown into prison.
The town leaders were worried the people would destroy everything if they didn’t follow their wishes, so they had Paul and Silas
beaten and thrown into prison with their hands and feet locked up in chains.
At midnight, inside their prison cell, Paul and Silas were singing and praying to God. They had been beaten and locked in chains, but they were still praising God.
The other prisoners were listening.
Could you imagine singing and praying just after being beaten and thrown into prison?
As the other prisoners listened, something happened…
The prison began to shake. It was a great earthquake! And all of the prison doors swung open and all of the chains fell off the prisoners. The jailer was terrified – thinking either the prisoners would attack him or the leaders would blame him for letting everyone in prison escape.
But Paul told the jailer to not be afraid. He assured him that all the prisoners were still there. And the jailer was amazed—so he asked Paul, “What must I do to be saved?”
Paul smiled and answered, “Believe in Jesus – and you and everyone in your house will be saved.”
The jailer invited Paul and Silas over to his own house where he bandaged their wounds and gave them some hot food to eat.
And the jailer, along with everyone in his family, were baptized in water by Paul and Silas—and everyone rejoiced.
Be joyful in hope, patient in trouble, and faithful in prayer.
—Romans 12.12
