Mind-altering, body-altering, life-altering!
Albert Bogle
June 04, 2021
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Acts 16: 22-34 (NIVUK)
22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!’
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’
31 They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.’ 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptised. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God – he and his whole household.
The story of how Paul and Silas find their circumstances and mood changed because of praise is further evidence of the power that praising and praying can have to alter life events. Singing praises to God alters the chemistry and mood in our bodies. I recall sharing in a sermon once that it was alright to come to church and allow others to praise God and sing even when we ourselves feel we can’t sing because our life experience has made singing difficult. I recall saying “It’s alright not to sing, we can sing for you.” Thus our singing and praising became vicarious — it was done on behalf of others and in doing so (and acknowledging the feelings of those unable to praise) change happened. Just like it did for those in Paul and Silas’s company. This is the service of praise. Knowing and experiencing this can change a mood and a heart. Here is a song written by Ian Walker who heard the sermon that evening and wrote this praise song ‘We Will Sing’.
Today this song will be our prayer:
We Will Sing For You
Chorus:
We will sing in Jesus’ name
We will sing for you
We will lift you up in Jesus’ name
We’ll sing and pray for you
You may not feel like singing
We will sing for you
Your may feel heavy with the cares of the day
We will sing for you
Chorus
We will surround you with our voices
We will sing for you
We will embrace you with the love of the Lord
We’ll love and trust for you
Chorus
You don’t have to sing just come as you are
We will sing for you
And you can worship in the stillness of your heart
Just come, we’ll sing for you
Chorus
Come sisters and brothers, gather round
We will sing for you
Together we will praise, that blessed joyful sound
We will sing for you
Chorus
We’ll sing and give thanks to you.
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