THE POWER OF PRAYER AND PRAISE:
'In spite of' By Claudene Sebolai “But at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. SUDDENLY there was an earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and IMMEDIATELY ALL the doors were opened and EVERYONE’s chains were loosed.” (Acts 16:25-26). It is no secret; the world has been turned upside down by COVID-19. Whereas some have been fortunate to keep their incomes, others had to suffer salary cuts, job losses, death etc. I cannot begin to imagine the fear and anxiety to one day be in control of your life, and the next day, the rug is pulled from underneath you. What would life be like post this pandemic? Can anyone clearly define the “new normal”? How do we navigate these feelings of uncertainty, depression, stress, anger, fear, etc? Although we haven’t stopped believing, we sure have felt the full force of the shaking and sifting accompanied by Corona. I am reminded of the story of Paul and Silas in Acts 16. On their way to prayer meeting, they ended up in prison. Not to mention the reason for their imprisonment was because they delivered a lady who was not only possessed by a demon but was exploited by business owners to make money for them. This poor woman’s body was used and abused, and it seemed like no one cared about her well-being. God, through Paul, set this woman free from what was bounding her daily, and as a result, these scrupulous business owners could no longer capitalise through her situation. Talk about bad things happening to good people for no apparent reason. Paul and Silas’ response to their dilemma is very encouraging. Instead of having a pity party in jail, they decided to have a prayer 52
meeting right there. Beaten up, bound up, and locked up, but that could not stop them from lifting their hearts and voices in prayer and praise to God. They did not allow their problems to have power over their prayer life, but they accessed the power of prayer in their situation. It is Paul who wrote to the Romans, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Rom 8: 18). Also, “in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Rom 8: 37). Thus, they did not pray and praise for the doors to open and the chains to break. They praised because they were satisfied with God. Imprisoned, yet satisfied! In chains, yet satisfied! Their praise was aimed at God. Consequently, God came into the prison to inhabit their praise. The result of God’s visitation was broken chains and open doors. This same attitude can be seen in the prophet Habakkuk when he exclaims, “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fails, and the field yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls YET I will rejoice in the Lord, I will take joy in the God of my salvation!” I will pray and praise in spite of affliction! Our prayers and praise should therefore not be aimed at our challenges and problems. Our affection should be directed toward our omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient God. You may have lost a lot during this time; you may feel the full brunt of this pandemic. You may deal with some serious mental health issues. Be assured; you are not alone. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). Turn your eyes upon Jesus!
