07/19/2023
There’s a new feature on my iPhone that warns me when my music is too loud …
But I just ignore it. I see it more as a suggestion than a commandment. I like music that is LOUD. Psalms 150:5 says, “… praise him with LOUD clashing cymbals!”
I understand the power of music. It has the ability to even change one’s mood and temperament.
Now get this….
Several of the Apostle Paul’s letters are called “prison epistles.” That means he wrote them while in jail (usually a Roman prison). These epistles are Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians, and 2 Timothy appears to also have been written from prison.
GET THIS: In none of those letters does he ever refer to himself as a “prisoner of Rome” (or any other government). Instead, he called himself the “prisoner of the Lord.” (Ephesians 3:1 and 4:1 - Philemon 1:1, 1:9, and 1:23).
In 2 Timothy 1:8 he calls himself “His (Christ’s’) prisoner.”
Have you ever heard the phrase, “prisoner of our circumstances?” It’s a catch phrase that means that one’s mood and attitude is controlled by what’s going on around them. If trials and afflictions are in their life, and has gotten the best of them, they’re “down in the dumps.” But when things go well, they’re bright and cheerful. Such people can be called “prisoners of their circumstances.”
I know all about this: been there a zillion times. We all suffer from this ailment from time to time. And that’s to be expected. Life can be a bummer. And the Lord has no expectations of us that we will never “get down.”
Those who know Jesus will sometimes get down, however, because of His Spirit within us, we will always rise up. The Bible says, “…a righteous man may fall seven times, but he will rise again.“ (Proverbs)
However, if we can learn to live as “prisoners of Jesus,” we will eventually learn to live as conquerors - no matter what comes our way.
When we live as “His prisoner,” we come to understand that He’s “on top of everything” going on in my life. And though things may look bleak and dark, we can rest assured that the story is not yet over.
But…we need to learn what to DO when we find ourselves “imprisoned” by our circumstances.
And Paul gives us some excellent suggestions on how we can ACT when we find ourselves in a “jail.” Those times when the stuff “hits the fan.”
Here’s a couple of cool ideas for you…
SING. Yep, start singing. This is what Paul and Silas did when they ended up in jail. Acts 16 tells of the time they were imprisoned for preaching the gospel. At midnight they broke out in song. Right there in the midst of those deplorable and wretched conditions, they started singing hymns of praise.
God wants ALL of His children to be singers. We have made the terrible mistake of leading people to think that singing is for the worship leader, or the worship team, or the choir. This may well be one of the biggest mistakes we have ever made.
YOU AND I ARE THE “WORSHIP TEAM.”
YOU AND I ARE THE “CHOIR.”
Ephesians 5:18 commands us to “be filled with the Spirit.” The verse following that command describes what a Spirit-filled life looks like, including, “…speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, SINGING and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
Colossians 4:16 repeats this commandment: “…SINGING with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
Isaiah 55 addresses those who are “barren.”
Barrenness shows up in our lives in many ways. We often feel dry and parched, in need of a special touch. Isaiah tells us what to do when this mood has a grip on us: “SING, O barren…break forth into singing…”
Can you imagine going to your doctor and telling him how depressed you have been - and he prescribes singing!
This is what Paul did in prison - and it paid off. When he and Silas had a jam session, an earthquake broke out - and their chains fell off.
It could very well be that your “chains” (depression, etc) are not going to fall offf until you start … singing.
By the way. Acts 16 also tells us that when Paul and Silas started singing, the other prisoners heard them. If your co-workers know you’re enduring hard times, and still hear you singing, they might then ask about the Source of your joy. The door will then be open to share the good news of the kingdom!
There’s one more thing you can do if your in prison. Paul did it, and so can we.
In each of his prison epistles, he prayed for those whom he wrote. His confinement in a jail cell provided him an opportunity to pray for others. (Ephesus 1:16 - Philippians 1:3-4 - Colossians 1:3 - 2 timothy 1:3 - Philemon 1:4)
What a glorious idea!
I have no doubt that some of you are going to come out of your “prison” - as a result of your praying for others!!
Do you remember the story of Job? God allowed Satan to attack him. The enemy came after him with a fury: he destroyed his cattle and all of his flocks. He even killed some of his servants. And when it didn’t seem it could get any worse, Satan caused the death of all of his children. Can there be anything worse?
But his story does not need there…
You will rememebr that the Lord eventually restored everything to Job. As a matter of act, we’re told that the Lord, “…blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning.”
But it’s worth nothing “WHEN” the Lord did this. Something had to take place in Job’s life before he experienced the restoration of all that he lost. 
The answer is found in Job 42:10: “When Job PRAYED FOR HIS FRIENDS, the LORD restored his fortunes.”
Wow!
Isn’t it odd to think that God may do an incredible work in your heart and life — but only AFTER you start praying for others.
Just like Paul did when he was in prison. 
So, “rock on.”
