DO YOU FEEL RESTRAINED? DO YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE TOTAL FREEDOM?

SCRIPTURE:
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 every one's bands were loosed, 
(Acts 16:25-26).

MEDITATION:
Do you ever feel that extenuating circumstances 
prevent you from being a witness for the God Who has saved you?
Do you live two separate lives: one when you are around other believers,
and a different one when you are not?
Are you ever embarrassed for others to know that you are dedicated to the Lord?

Do you feel that the opinion of others 
prevents you from celebrating and praising the Lord in words, or even in song?
Are you allowing something to control you such as alcohol, drugs, wrong attitudes,
gambling, pornography, lying, stealing, dishonesty, selfishness, etc.?

If any of this applies to you, then consider yourself in a living prison.
No person wants to live in this kind of prison (or any prison for that matter).
Freedom is available for all, 
but it requires a change of heart, attitude, words and actions.

In the scriptures, we see that Paul and Silas were not only in prison, 
but they were in the inner prison (the most secured area) with their feet in stocks. 
At one of the most depressing times (the midnight hour) 
they were praying and singing praises to God 
and the other inmates were listening to them as they praised God. 
What an awesome testimony of a life totally dedicated to God! 

Do you think you would react in the same way in these circumstances?
Being imprisoned because of faith in God could cause some to say, 
“God, why have you allowed this to happen to me?”
Hopefully all believers would respond the same way as Paul and Silas, 
but would they?

When our lives are totally focused on God and not on ourselves, 
then God is able to shake the foundations of the world through us. 
During Paul and Silas’ singing and praising 
the foundations of the jail were shaken and the doors were opened. 
They were set free - free to accomplish God’s will. 
As a result of their faith, actions and obedience, 
the jailer and his household were saved – people’s lives were changed.  

When our lives are in the same place as Paul and Silas; 
when we have allowed God to prove Himself to us; 
when our total confidence is in Him; 
when our circumstances are not about us, but about obedience to God; 
when our faith is in God, not in our circumstances; 
when we know that we will not be imprisoned 
or bound any longer than God wants us to be; 
when our life is not our own, but belongs to God; 
when our singing is a result of our faith and a desire 
to give all praise, glory and honor to God for all things, 
we open the doors for God to shake the foundations of this world. 

The effects of this type of life causes a release of our control of the natural 
and results in God’s supernatural power living through us. 

ACTION: 
Do the circumstances of life have you bound? 
Do you want to be set free? 
Give your life and circumstances to God. 
Begin to worship and praise Him in all things, 
and know that He will prove Himself faithful.

Pray, 
“Heavenly Father, thank You for being faithful in all things! Forgive me 
for any times that I restrain myself from praising You. Teach me to be 
more concerned with how You perceive me than I am about how others 
perceive me. Thank You for the Holy Spirit You have given me to help 
and guide me in all things, including praise and worship of You. Help me 
to release the Holy Spirit fully in my life, so that He can teach me to change 
my heart, attitudes, words, actions, habits, and priorities. I am confident that 
I will experience a new and different kind of freedom by giving up more of 
myself and seeking more of You.”