在困境中歌唱！
保罗和他的旅途伙伴们在前往一个祷告会的途中，碰到了奇怪的事。有一个使女迎面走来，她“有邪灵附身，能够占卜将来的事。”她有好几天都跟着保罗，干扰他在腓立比传讲耶稣的福音。当保罗将那控制她的邪灵赶出去后，她的主人们因为不能再利用她赚钱而十分恼怒。他们便揪住保罗和西拉，把他们拖到法院，以引起骚乱的罪名控告他们。官长吩咐剥了他们的衣裳，用棍打了，并把他们下在监里。
保罗和西拉被严严实实关在牢里，约在半夜时他们祷告，唱诗赞美神。我们不知道他们唱了什么，但我们知道“众囚犯也侧耳而听”。接着，发生一场地震，所有牢门都被震开，众囚犯的锁链也都松开了，却没有人逃跑。禁卒以为囚犯已经逃走，正想拔刀自杀，却因着保罗和西拉分享的福音，在基督里得着了新生命。
当你面对困境，不妨想想保罗和西拉的处境，然后问问自己：“我的祷告和歌唱，是否显出神的奇异恩典呢？我的遭遇有没有激动别人问道，‘我当怎样行才可以得救？’”
神啊，当我们身陷逆境，求祢引导我们以祷告和唱诗转向祢，好使他人能来认识祢这位开启丰盛的永生之路的神。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。
使徒行传 16:16-34
16后来，我们往那祷告的地方去。有一个使女迎着面来，她被巫鬼所附，用法术，叫她主人们大得财利。
17她跟随保罗和我们，喊着说：“这些人是至高神的仆人，对你们传说救人的道。”
18她一连多日这样喊叫，保罗就心中厌烦，转身对那鬼说：“我奉耶稣基督的名，吩咐你从她身上出来！”那鬼当时就出来了。
19使女的主人们见得利的指望没有了，便揪住保罗和西拉，拉他们到市上去见首领；
20又带到官长面前说：“这些人原是犹太人，竟骚扰我们的城，
21传我们罗马人所不可受不可行的规矩。”
22众人就一同起来攻击他们。官长吩咐剥了他们的衣裳，用棍打；
23打了许多棍，便将他们下在监里，嘱咐禁卒严紧看守。
24禁卒领了这样的命，就把他们下在内监里，两脚上了木狗。
25约在半夜，保罗和西拉祷告，唱诗赞美神，众囚犯也侧耳而听。
26忽然，地大震动，甚至监牢的地基都摇动了，监门立刻全开，众囚犯的锁炼也都松开了。
27禁卒一醒，看见监门全开，以为囚犯已经逃走，就拔刀要自杀。
28保罗大声呼叫说：“不要伤害自己！我们都在这里。”
29禁卒叫人拿灯来，就跳进去，战战兢兢地俯伏在保罗、西拉面前；
30又领他们出来，说：“二位先生，我当怎样行才可以得救？”
31他们说：“当信主耶稣，你和你一家都必得救。”
32他们就把主的道讲给他和他全家的人听。
33当夜，就在那时候，禁卒把他们带去，洗他们的伤；他和属乎他的人立时都受了洗。
34于是禁卒领他们上自己家里去，给他们摆上饭。他和全家，因为信了神，都很喜乐。
What A Time For Singing!
"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. . . ." — Acts 16:25
A strange thing happened on the way to a prayer meeting; Paul and his traveling companions were met by a slave girl "who had a spirit by which she predicted the future." For several days she followed Paul, disrupting his attempts to spread the good news of Jesus in Philippi. When Paul cast out the evil spirit that controlled her, her owners got upset because they could no longer use her to make money. So they dragged Paul and Silas to court, where they were charged with causing a disturbance. The magistrates ordered them to be stripped, beaten, and sent to jail.
Locked securely in an inner cell, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God around midnight. We do not know what they sang, but we are told that "the other prisoners were listening to them." Then, when an earthquake shook open all the prison doors and loosed everyone's chains, no one escaped. The jailer, who was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had gone, rushed in and instead found new life in Christ as Paul and Silas shared the good news.
When you find yourself faced with difficulties, consider the response of Paul and Silas and ask yourself, "Do my prayers and songs reflect the awesome grace of God? Will people be moved to ask, 'What must I do to be saved?'"
Lord, when things go wrong in our lives, guide us to turn to you in prayer and singing so that others will come to know the One who has opened the way to abundant and eternal life. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
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