“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and signing hymns to God…Suddenly there was an earthquake…all the prison doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose” Acts 16:25-26 (NIV)

Things looked pretty bleak for Paul and Silas, they were lynched by an angry mob, heavily beaten and thrown into prison for preaching the gospel - it doesn’t get much worse. Yet here, chained in the darkness, their wounds aching, they have the most remarkable response – they prayed and sang to God! In a place where self-pity and despair would be the normal responses, they praised God and what an impact it had! The earth shook, the doors flew open and their chains fell off.

There is an important lesson here; praise and prayer change things. When we take our eyes off our circumstances and worship God everything changes. Doors that have been locked for years fly open, chains fall off and breakthrough comes. No matter where you are today, remember God is with you and He loves you unconditionally. In the place of despair, when you have been put through the mill, when it appears all hope is gone, refuse to trampled underfoot by circumstance and lift your voice in prayer and praise to God - things will happen.