“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake…” (Acts 16:25-26 KJV).
Does the prayer you have been praying lead you to praise or does it make you want to cry after you prayed?
Paul and Silas prayed a prayer that made them praise God. What kind of prayer was that? I guarantee you it was a prayer of supplication. Supplication is earnest entreaty.
Paul and Silas prayed a fervent prayer, too. It wasn’t some, “Well, Lord, I know you’ll make a way somehow.” It was more like this: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, you said, Father, but you deliver us out of them all and change the situation in our favor!”
In other words, they’re saying what God said. And do you know what they’re doing? They are replacing the thought the enemy was trying to give them.
The enemy will put thoughts of defeat in your mind. I’m sure he is putting thoughts of defeat in their mind, and they’re replacing it by reminding themselves who God is and what’s going to happen to the devil. He’s going to pay for what he’s done to them. That prayer got them so stirred up, they started singing praises unto God.
A lot of people have been praying, but they haven’t been praising. You have to pray and praise. You have to raise your level of praise up to your level of prayer. When you do, you’ll get what Paul and Silas got. You’ll get an earthquake that will shake you loose.
And then Philippians 4:6 it says to be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer, supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.
That means you have to say, “Thank you, Lord. Thank you Lord, you’ve got me out of this. Thank you Lord, you’ve already provided the money. Thank you Lord, you’ve already provided the healing.”
“Thank you Lord, you already provided an easement. Thank you Lord, there is a way to escape that I may be able to bear it. I want to thank you in advance; you have opened the door for me!”
When you pray that kind of prayer you will get the peace of God that passes all understanding. And that peace shall keep your hearts and minds through the Anointed One, Jesus. The fervent prayer that leads to praise and thanksgiving is the prayer that gets results.
Scripture References: Philippians 4:6-8; Acts 4:23-31
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Keith Butler has been an ordained minister since 1974. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and holds diplomas from Canada Christian College and Rhema Bible Training Center.
He serves in ministry with the support of his lovely wife, Pastor Deborah L. Butler, and their children: Pastor Andre Butler (granddaughters Alexis, Angela, and April), Pastor MiChelle Ferguson and husband Pastor Lee (grandson Lucas), and Minister Kristina Jenkins and husband Pastor Joel (grandsons Andrew and Austin, and granddaughter Alyssa).