The 
Phases of Faith
Faith is the only way to grow in our relationship with God.
Thursday, May 20, 2004
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My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, I know that prayer is the vital connection between my life and You. I know that You want me to come to You in unceasing pray. I know that when I stay connected with You throughout my days, that my days are always more joyful. Yet, I find myself hesitating, forgetting, using up time that could be invested in my relationship with You in pursuits that have no eternal and sometimes no temporal value. I confess that I don’t always put You first in my life. I repent of that reality, and ask that You would instill in me the desire to pray, the desire to put You first in every moment of life. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may live boldly and confidently in Your presence and power. Make me be “salt” and “light” today, as Jesus commanded, and let my first and last resort be You. All this I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God's Word For Me Today
Acts 16:22-26
22A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24So he took no chances but put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.
25Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!
Reflecting on God's Word
What is the most dramatic answer to prayer that you have ever received?
What people or situations in your life right now are at the “top” of your prayer list?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word
What “dead-end” situation did Paul and Silas face in today’s Scripture? (16:22-24)
What was Paul and Silas’ response to their situation? (16:25)
What was God’s response to their prayers? (16:26)
Understanding God's Purpose
What do we find out about God’s purpose in the midst of suffering and dead-ends from today’s reading?
What do you suppose the other prisoners learned about God from Paul and Silas’ prayer and God’s response?
Applying God's Word to Our Lives
What do you learn from today’s Scripture that encourages you for living toward the fulfillment of God’s dreams for your life?
Thoughts...Prayer in the Midst of Dead-Ends...
Paul and Silas faced a dead-end of great magnitude. They had already been beaten fiercely for proclaiming Jesus as Savior and Lord. Then they were imprisoned, and not in a nice, air-conditioned cell, but in the deepest darkest part of a dungeon, and the jailer placed their feet in leg irons. So how did Paul and Silas respond to such a “dead-end”? They sang praises to God and prayed. Imagine if you were one of the other prisoners in that prison. They had undoubtedly seen Paul and Silas being brought into the dungeon. They saw the wounds from the beatings they had taken. They knew that these must be notorious criminals. So imagine their surprise when Paul and Silas held a praise and prayer session! Imagine their greater surprise when God responded by releasing every chain and opening every door! Talk about a deliverance! The result of the deliverance was that the jailer and his whole family received Jesus as their Savior and Lord that very night! May we always remember that the first step out of dead-ends is to call on the Lord who is the author of deliverance! While it may be difficult to praise God in every circumstance, Paul and Silas did and the result was not only their deliverance, but the deliverance of a whole family as well!