CALLED TO REIGN THROUGH PRAISE

"But you are a chosen generation, a ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should SHOW FORTH THE PRAISES OF HIM [God] who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light".

This verse clearly says that believers in Christ, the children of God are King-Priests. In other words their kingship has its roots in spiritual works. The emphasis of the spiritual work in this verse is on praise!

 A life of faith is a life of praise. O, praise is so important to the blessed life! God chose the believer in Christ to declare His praise. The rest is only details. If you understand this you will see victory every where as the story of Paul and Silas clearly demonstrates. Please you may need to read Acts Chapter 16 later for a thorough understanding. Praise is stronger than circumstance.

PAUL SETS A DAMSEL FREE!

Paul was only doing the will of God by setting free a damsel possessed by the spirit of divination. ln the sight of God the freedom of the damsel was a good thing. But to her masters, who were using her for profit, it was a loss. Their angry response sets up a chain of events that led to Paul and his partner Silas being unlawfully shut up in the inner prison. 

"WHY ME?"

Paul and Silas didn't bother to ask God, "Why me?" Such a question is usually a waste of time once you are already in the trouble. Your focus should be on how to get out. Paul understood that he was the servant of God. God can use His servant to achieve His end by any means and through any process - See Isaiah 43:1-21.

FOCUS ON GOD!

What should you do when doing the perfect will of God and you are suddenly thrust into prison? Unless you understand that God is the owner and controller of the events of your life you will respond wrongly. But Paul understood perfectly well. God has an assignment for them in that prison otherwise no devil could have put them there. So they focused on God.

"And at midnight Paul and Silas PRAYED, and SANG PRAISES UNTO GOD: and THE PRISONERS HEARD THEM" (Acts 16:25).

THAT IS A CURIOUS REPORT!

The curious part of this verse is that ending phrase; 

"and THE PRISONERS HEARD THEM." 

If I was the one who wrote it I would have written; 

"and THE [OTHER] PRISONERS HEARD THEM." 

But the Holy Ghost was here speaking of deeper dimensions. He was speaking from God's perspective. Paul and Silas were in a physical prison; but they were not the spiritual captives of Satan like the other prisoners. The prisoners were there legally because of their own offence. But Paul and Silas were innocent, illegally  put in prison. They were God's bondmen. Was Satan involved? Yes, he was the one who steered up the trouble to put them in prison unlawfully. But Paul and Silas were sent by God to the prison to set the prisoners free from Satan.

THE DIVINE RESPONSE

Thank God they understood that they were King-Priests. God's response was provoked by a correct attitude of faith expressed through praise. You can pray quietly; but  a life of praise to God must be loud for the prisoners to hear and see. People may be spiritually bound by sickness for example. But child of God if you find yourself in that prison of sickness, you must understand that it has no legal hold on you because of the blood of Jesus. It is an unlawful captivity. Divine healing and health is your inheritance in Christ. Pray and praise God. Your Visitation will be the tool for delivering those who are legally bound by Satan with sickness. It can lead to their salvation.

GOD'S RESPONSE WAS SUDDEN AND  UNCONVENTIONAL. 

"And SUDDENLY there was a GREAT EARTHQUAKE, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately ALL THE DOORS WERE OPENED, and EVERY ONE'S BANDS WERE LOOSED" (Acts 16:26).

Yet that was not the ultimate reason for God to send Paul and Silas to prison. That was still going to happen.

THE SALVATION OF THE KEEPER OF THE PRISON. 

When the prison doors were open and every one's chains were loosed, the normal response of prisoners would have been to escape. But not so in this instance. The awe of God fell upon that prison and the prisoners. 

The keeper of the prison was saved with his entire household. 

OUTSIDE THE PRESENCE OF GOD YOU ARE ONLY A FUGITIVE

The prisoners experienced the raw, powerful presence of God that some of us living can only dream about. When they experienced it they chose to remain in prison rather than flee to live as fugitives. I imagine that every prisoner in that jail was ultimately saved.

WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF PAUL AND SILAS DIDN'T PRAISE GOD? 

It's good to pray. But it's not enough to pray. I have taken some time to imagine the implications of not praising God in this situation.

1. God would not have been known in that place.

2. Paul and Silas would have remained in prison indefinitely; until they praised God.

3. The prisoners would have remained in chain.

4. The keeper of the prison and his household would have remained prisoners of Satan.

5. We won't know what we do know today.

CONCLUSION

You are a royal priesthood. You are called by God to reign through PRAISE! PRAYER is a necessity when dealing with the challenges of life. But you can't afford to stop with PRAYER. PRAISE is the robe of royalty in the kingdom. PRAISE is the crown of the royal priesthood.

The enemy has no real power over you until he gains control over your ATTITUDE. He will seek to control you through your circumstances. RIGHT ATTITUDE will show forth in PRAISE. We reign by PRAISE.