GET READY AN OPEN DOOR (part 2of 2)
Acts 16:16-26
Last week’s lesson we had focused on the purpose of the book of Acts, the theme, who was Paul and Silas and then we got a little into the text, but this week we will conclude this lesson on focusing on Paul and Silas experience and how we can get ready for the open door.
Once more, opportunity produces open doors. As you accept an opportunity that is of God, you will find that it will lead you to major breakthrough and you will be able to produce unceasing fruits.
God has an open door for each and every one of us (THE SAVED), but it’s our responsibility to position ourselves to receive that open door through, prayer, praise and fasting. This week I encourage you, that as you seek God’s face expect open doors in your finances, health and business or whatever your needs are, don’t quick until God release it to you.
Understand that before there come open doors, there will be some trying and testing times which will push you closer to God in prayer and fasting, and that is what attracts God’s attention and allow HIM to open up major opportunities. We will now look at the life of Paul and Silas and see how their experiences pushed them to, sing praises, and prayed unto the Lord.
Paul and Silas experience
Paul and Silas teaching wasn’t related to the Roman customs or laws. So because of this they were told that they ‘trouble the city’ and were taken to the magistrates in verse 22. It was before the magistrate that Paul and Silas clothes were taken off. Note that before prisoners were beaten with rods, their garments were literally torn off so that their flesh would be exposed for the flogging. In Jewish legal system, there were a maximum number of blows that could be delivered when beating a person, but the Romans had no such limit. This is something Paul had experienced on three times separate occasions in 2-Corinthians 11:23-25.
It was after they were beaten that they were cast into prison in verse 23. Notice they were cast into prison. Castthe Greek there is ‘ballo’ and means, To Throw, Rush, Put, Drop, Toss and to let down. It was after they were cast into prison that the soldiers had to guard them safely. Because the soldiers had to keep them safe they thrust them into the inner prison in verse 24. They trust them and ‘made their feet fast in the stocks’. Stocks is (anything made of wood, the trunk of a tree). They were thrust into the inner prison that is the lowest or furthest part of the prison; so that there were the more doors, bolts, and bars, to break open, and pass through, should they attempt to make their escape:
Getting Ready For the Open Door
Paul and Silas having nowhere to go began to pray and sang praises to God at midnight and midnight is (the middle of the period between sunset and sunrises). So it is the middle of your situation you have to sing songs of praise and pray. They prayedand the Greek word there is ‘pros-yoo'-khom-ahee’ and means, To exchange wishes. To interact with the Lord by switching human wishes/ideas for HIS wishes as He imparts faith (divine persuasion), Supplicate and Worship.
Paul and Silas prayed for themselves, for their deliverance in God's time and way, and for support under their present afflictions, to enable them to be patient and cheerful. While Paul and Silas prayed and sang songs of praise, the bible said that the prisoners heard them or they were listening. The word translated listening is ‘ep-ak-ro-ah-om-ahee’ and means, To listen with pleasure, To listen attentively, Hearken to and listen intently to.
They probably sang one of David's psalms, or hymns: for the book of Psalms is a book of hymns. That’s why our light must always shine as is mentioned in Philippians 2:14-15 14Do all things without murmurings and disputing: 15That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
It was after Paul and Silas prayed and sang praise that there was an earthquake. The earthquake was the Lord showing visible signs in providing for his servants, that they might more manifestly know that their prayers were heard.
Not only was there an earthquake but the foundation was shaken. Foundation, ‘them-el’-ee-os’ (something put down or belonging to the foundation) of the prison were shaken it’s not the roof and walls only but the foundation. Prison, the Greek there is ‘des-mo-tay-ree-on’ and means, Imprisoned, A place of bondage and a dungeon.
In ancient prison each doors were secured with a bar so there was no way out, but the earthquake came and shock the bars off and loose the bonds off of Paul and Silas. An earthquake there could have represented a symbol of God’s presence as is mentioned in Matthew 28:2And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.” We also see that the shaken could be God’s presence in Acts 4:31And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
And immediately (instantly, straightway, presently or at the time itself), all doors were opened and every one bonds were loosed, it was both of the outer and inner prison door. It said All doors were opened and and the Greek workthere is ‘pas’ (all) and means, Every, Every kind of, All the things, All the kind, Making up the whole and viewing the whole in terms of the individual parts.
The doors were opened because of Paul and Silas praying and singing psalms. The Greek word Door there is ‘thura’ and means, Opportunity, Entrance, Gates and the opening or the closure. The disciples had this experience before, Acts 5:20 and Acts 12:7-10. Their bonds were loosed, the Greek there is ‘an-ee’-ay-mee’ which means, To send up, Produce, Send back, Desist from, Release and Give up.
Even if things don’t seem possible and it seems life there is no way out, God will open up that door which will bring your breakthrough or the opportunity and that opportunity will bring other opportunity and more open doors. God will open doors of every kind which includes, finances, health, ministry and business and today I pray that God will open all the doors that you desire for HIM to open. Don’t get weary in well doing for in due season you shall certainly reap your harvest. Continue to pursue, for there will be open doors in your life.
Acts 16:16-26
Last week’s lesson we had focused on the purpose of the book of Acts, the theme, who was Paul and Silas and then we got a little into the text, but this week we will conclude this lesson on focusing on Paul and Silas experience and how we can get ready for the open door.
Once more, opportunity produces open doors. As you accept an opportunity that is of God, you will find that it will lead you to major breakthrough and you will be able to produce unceasing fruits.
God has an open door for each and every one of us (THE SAVED), but it’s our responsibility to position ourselves to receive that open door through, prayer, praise and fasting. This week I encourage you, that as you seek God’s face expect open doors in your finances, health and business or whatever your needs are, don’t quick until God release it to you.
Understand that before there come open doors, there will be some trying and testing times which will push you closer to God in prayer and fasting, and that is what attracts God’s attention and allow HIM to open up major opportunities. We will now look at the life of Paul and Silas and see how their experiences pushed them to, sing praises, and prayed unto the Lord.
Paul and Silas experience
Paul and Silas teaching wasn’t related to the Roman customs or laws. So because of this they were told that they ‘trouble the city’ and were taken to the magistrates in verse 22. It was before the magistrate that Paul and Silas clothes were taken off. Note that before prisoners were beaten with rods, their garments were literally torn off so that their flesh would be exposed for the flogging. In Jewish legal system, there were a maximum number of blows that could be delivered when beating a person, but the Romans had no such limit. This is something Paul had experienced on three times separate occasions in 2-Corinthians 11:23-25.
It was after they were beaten that they were cast into prison in verse 23. Notice they were cast into prison. Castthe Greek there is ‘ballo’ and means, To Throw, Rush, Put, Drop, Toss and to let down. It was after they were cast into prison that the soldiers had to guard them safely. Because the soldiers had to keep them safe they thrust them into the inner prison in verse 24. They trust them and ‘made their feet fast in the stocks’. Stocks is (anything made of wood, the trunk of a tree). They were thrust into the inner prison that is the lowest or furthest part of the prison; so that there were the more doors, bolts, and bars, to break open, and pass through, should they attempt to make their escape:
Getting Ready For the Open Door
Paul and Silas having nowhere to go began to pray and sang praises to God at midnight and midnight is (the middle of the period between sunset and sunrises). So it is the middle of your situation you have to sing songs of praise and pray. They prayedand the Greek word there is ‘pros-yoo'-khom-ahee’ and means, To exchange wishes. To interact with the Lord by switching human wishes/ideas for HIS wishes as He imparts faith (divine persuasion), Supplicate and Worship.
Paul and Silas prayed for themselves, for their deliverance in God's time and way, and for support under their present afflictions, to enable them to be patient and cheerful. While Paul and Silas prayed and sang songs of praise, the bible said that the prisoners heard them or they were listening. The word translated listening is ‘ep-ak-ro-ah-om-ahee’ and means, To listen with pleasure, To listen attentively, Hearken to and listen intently to.
They probably sang one of David's psalms, or hymns: for the book of Psalms is a book of hymns. That’s why our light must always shine as is mentioned in Philippians 2:14-15 14Do all things without murmurings and disputing: 15That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
It was after Paul and Silas prayed and sang praise that there was an earthquake. The earthquake was the Lord showing visible signs in providing for his servants, that they might more manifestly know that their prayers were heard.
Not only was there an earthquake but the foundation was shaken. Foundation, ‘them-el’-ee-os’ (something put down or belonging to the foundation) of the prison were shaken it’s not the roof and walls only but the foundation. Prison, the Greek there is ‘des-mo-tay-ree-on’ and means, Imprisoned, A place of bondage and a dungeon.
In ancient prison each doors were secured with a bar so there was no way out, but the earthquake came and shock the bars off and loose the bonds off of Paul and Silas. An earthquake there could have represented a symbol of God’s presence as is mentioned in Matthew 28:2And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.” We also see that the shaken could be God’s presence in Acts 4:31And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
And immediately (instantly, straightway, presently or at the time itself), all doors were opened and every one bonds were loosed, it was both of the outer and inner prison door. It said All doors were opened and and the Greek workthere is ‘pas’ (all) and means, Every, Every kind of, All the things, All the kind, Making up the whole and viewing the whole in terms of the individual parts.
The doors were opened because of Paul and Silas praying and singing psalms. The Greek word Door there is ‘thura’ and means, Opportunity, Entrance, Gates and the opening or the closure. The disciples had this experience before, Acts 5:20 and Acts 12:7-10. Their bonds were loosed, the Greek there is ‘an-ee’-ay-mee’ which means, To send up, Produce, Send back, Desist from, Release and Give up.
Even if things don’t seem possible and it seems life there is no way out, God will open up that door which will bring your breakthrough or the opportunity and that opportunity will bring other opportunity and more open doors. God will open doors of every kind which includes, finances, health, ministry and business and today I pray that God will open all the doors that you desire for HIM to open. Don’t get weary in well doing for in due season you shall certainly reap your harvest. Continue to pursue, for there will be open doors in your life.
STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD