Freedom

I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. Psalm 119:45

Paul and Silas were missionaries for God. One day, as they were headed to a prayer meeting in Philippi, they were met by a slave girl. The girl began to shout, “These men serve the Most High God. They are telling you how to be saved (Acts 16:17).” Of course they were, they served God almighty. They were missionaries and telling others how to be saved. The problem was, she kept this up for several days. The scripture tells us that Paul became upset. Why? Because the Holy Spirit revealed to him that an evil spirit was living inside her. In the name of Jesus Christ, he commanded the evil spirit to come out of her.

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Matthew 7:21

The slave girl’s masters were very angry that they could not make any money with her fortune telling. They had Paul and Silas dragged to the marketplace and brought before the rulers of the city. Paul and Silas were stripped, beaten, thrown into the inner prison and their feet put into wooden stocks. It is here that they allowed the Holy Spirit to move. Instead of focusing on their unfair treatment, the pain of their beatings and the impossibility of getting out of prison, they chose to focus on worship and praise.

About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying. They were also singing hymns to God. The other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a powerful earthquake. It shook the prison from top to bottom. All at once the prison doors flew open. Everyone’s chains came loose. Acts 16: 25-27

The jailer was going to kill himself because he figured everyone had escaped but Paul and Silas shouted, “We are all here!”

Freedom that day came in many forms because 2 ordinary men allowed the Holy Spirit to move and made a decision to focus on praising God in the midst of their difficulties.

The slave girl was set free from the bondage of evil spirits, the jailer and his whole family were saved and in the dirtiness of the prison cells, prisoners’ lives were touched. Our days are difficult but focusing on prayer and praise allows the Holy Spirit to move in our lives. Praise Him today.

Now the Lord is the Holy Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, freedom is also there. 2 Corinthians 3:17