RTW November 15
Prisoner Praise
Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.
Acts 16:25
My Takeaways
Something Old
Our praise can make others want what we have.
(The guards, who had only heard praise, asked what they had to do to be saved- they had not heard a sermon.)
Something New
Prisoner praise pleases God.
Prisoner praise has power.
Something to Do
Offer prisoner praise.
Wow! Once again today’s reading and the lesson have deeply spoken to me. I’m convicted of the kind of impact I am having on the “prisoners“ in my life at my job. How am I impacting others? Do people want the kind of life I live? What do people see or hear? They see someone who complains, someone who mumbles and doesn’t handle stress well. I’ve been overwhelmed by the workload and not handling it well-there was a lay off recently and I’m joining others in grumbling and complaining when I should be praying and praising. But today’s a new day and I will stop inviting people to my pity party! I will invite them instead to my positivity party! I will extract myself from conversations that are not uplifting if I’m not able to turn the conversation toward a positive note. I will be an example of Christ to everyone. Lord help me. Holy Spirit You are the only way this is possible. My purpose is to not join the prisoners in their misery but to set the captives free! I can’t do that if I am chained and shackled by my own grumbling and complaining
What great thoughts! You can do this! I’ve been in that place with co-workers before. It is so easy to join in and be negative but what a great pursuit to set a positive tone instead!! God will greatly bless and use your commitment to Him!
Thank you!!! Yes He will!!! I’m so surprised how aware I am of how much I really do complain it’s been a challenging morning. Couldn’t do it without Holy Spirit but I’m holding my tongue.
My Takeaways: Don’t miss an opportunity
Something Old: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Love this. I heard the story, through God’s grace I am saved and the journey began. Learning more about God from others and through studying his Word, the Bible. Then came the decision to be baptized – to publicly profess my faith in Jesus as my Savior. Living a joyful life of community with others. The process is the same today as it was for the first Christians— one person at a time. It was Timothy, then Luke and Lydia, then the jailer and his family. Though Paul had the ability to reach thousands at a time, he did what I can do — personal evagelism. I simply tell the people I know and meet about the salvation found in Jesus Christ.“How can they believe in Him whom they’ve not heard, and how can they hear unless someone tells them?” (Romans 10:14, 15).
Something New: Todays reading allowed me to see that rejection may be God’s delay, to develop further growth and usefulness in me. God knows when a person is ready and protects him when he isn’t. I can always trust God to handle my life
Something To Do: Tell other people in my life to “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” Live my life in a Spirit filled and loving way so people come to me and ask, “What must I do to be saved?”