And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bands were loosed.–Acts 16:25-26

Worship sets people free. How much do you worship? When do you worship? Are you able to worship when your circumstances are the very worst, your patience has failed and your confusion is maxed out? Do praise songs come to your mind at the most stressful times? We need to assess our ability to worship because worship will change our lives. We need to train ourselves to worship in all circumstances.

Paul and Silas were beaten, thrown in the inner prison and their feet were fastened in stocks. They were probably in too much pain to sleep, so at midnight they broke out in worship. They did not have a worship leader, instruments, power point, or a radio to sing along to. They probably could not even tap their feet to keep the beat. Paul and Silas may not even have had good singing voices. But from the wellspring of their hearts, their mouths worshipped the Lord despite their circumstances. As a result, other prisoners listened to them and even better, everyone¹s chains were loosed. Worship set prisoners free.

In many ways, you may feel like a prisoner. You may have habits that you cannot break, you may find yourself in circumstances that have not changed, you may feel that God isn¹t answering your prayers. What are you to do? Worship. Worship when you are sad, feel bad, and after you were mad. Worship every day, at work and at play, worship any way. Worship will change your life and if you sing loud enough for others to listen, your worship may set them free as well. (Daily Disciples Devotional)

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.”–Ephesians 4:31

Those words were written by Charles Stanley. I can’t read this without thinking about his terrible experience of having his wife leave him. Considering his situation, it seems that he had good reason to be angry. Dr. Stanely was hurt deeply, but he fogave fully, and out of the depths of his tragedy he gives this wise advice:

A righteous life has no room for lingering anger, whether in the form of rage or resentment. Fury that hardens in our hearts becomes a stronghold for Satan.

The fleshly method for “curing” wrath is to either let it out (rage) or suppress it (resentment). Neither is effective for solving problems or making an angry person feel better. God’s way of dealing with this dangerous emotion dissolves it and sets the believer free. As today’s passage reminds us, we are to “let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from [us], along with all malice” (v. 31). But to do so requires that we recognize it’s there.

Whether we are annoyed at ourselves, another person, or God, we have to own that feeling. Pretending that the emotion doesn’t exist or that we’ve somehow risen above anger is useless. If you’re angry, admit it and then identify the source. Knowing who or what ignited the initial fury can prevent people from misdirecting irritation onto the innocent.

Here are some questions to help in identifying a source of anger:

• Why am I angry?

• At whom am I angry?

• What caused me to feel/act this way?

• Where or when did this feeling start?

• Have I been angry a long time?

Once we know the source of our anger, it’s time to forgive, no matter what. Fury and unforgiveness often go together, and they’re heavy baggage that will drag you down. God calls us to set them aside and take up love and kindness instead. Forsaking anger means walking in His will with a light step.

—-my bonds in Christ—Philippians 1:13

It seems strange that some of the best people have the worst problems and some of the sweetest songs come from prisons, rather than a palace. As Paul wrote this marvellous letter he was wearing chains for Christ, yet he did so with great rejoicing.

It’s unlikely that you and I will ever be forced to wear chains for Christ’s sake, but if we do our duty we will, without a doubt, experience suffering of some sort. Whether we speak of it as chains we wear or a cross we bear, the point is the same. Both represent the suffering we experience as a result of doing God’s will. Jesus, remember, spoke about the difficulties of discipleship. He didn’t lie!

For some it is household cares that make up the links of the chain that binds them. Don’t kid yourself–being a faithful housewife isn’t a walk in the park. For others the chain that holds them is a low-paying, dead-end job that they must work to support their family. Could you rejoice in a situation like that? The list could go on, but you get the point. Doing what God expects can be very uncomfortable–down right painful. How do you handle it? Or, does it handle you?

Let me make a suggestion–let Paul serve as an example( Phil.3:15-17). Instead of thinking of yourself as being deprived in bondage and complaining because you can’t escape, think of situation as an opportunity to do what you otherwise wouldn’t do–given a choice. Consider your circumstances as a chance to serve Christ. That’s exactly what Paul did. He didn’t sit idly by. He attributed his presence in prison to an act of God, although wicked men put him there, and he used the occasion to preach the gospel (Phil. 1:12-13).

Your circumstances and your mission, to an extent, are different, but your attitude should be the same. Do all things without murmurings and disputings—joy, and rejoice with me.”(Phil. 2:14,18). Do that and you will be blessed by whatever binds you!

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped. therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. —Psalm 28:7

Billy Bray,( a famous preacher from Cornwall, England, born in 1794), was saved from a terrible life of drunkenness and sin. After his conversion, he experienced one trouble after another, but he never ceased praising and praying to the Lord.

He came to a place in his life where all he had to eat was a dish of very small potatoes, which a friend had given him. Billy bowed his head to offer thanks when he suddenly thought to himself: How can you thank God for such small potatoes? But out loud, Billy replied, “Go away, Satan—when I was serving you, I had no potatoes at all!”

The Bible tells us that Joseph experienced difficulties as well. He was forced into slavery and put in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. But in the midst of it all, He honored God, praised Him, and was thankful for the path God had taken him down. Scripture says, “But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” (Genesis 39:21). As a result of his trials, the Lord raised Joseph up to rule over the land of Egypt under Pharaoh.

Life’s struggles can be difficult at times. And when it seems that there is no money left for food, no cure for the illness, and no one else who cares, our sovereign God is in control and taking care of you each and every day. Psalm 42:11 says “—hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” In all things, we are to praise the Lord—even for the small potatoes!

When facing trials, ask God to show you the blessings in the small things He’s given you. Ask Him to increase your hope and trust in Him and thank Him for supplying all your needs.( From “Senior Living”, Scripture references changed to KJV).