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Have you ever had one of those moments where you felt like you were on the brink of breaking down? What about being accused of something you know you didn’t down? What about being mistreated for no apparent reason at all? If you said yes to any (or all) of these questions, what do you do during these moments? How do you react? How do you choose to respond?

In Acts 16:18-39 Paul cast a demon out of a girl that was being used by her masters to make money for them through fortune-telling. When the masters knew that they could no longer use the girl to make money for themselves, they got angry and brought Paul and Silas into the marketplace where they falsely accused both of these men before the magistrates. The magistrates then falsely charges Paul and Silas and due to persuasion from an angry crowd, the magistrates tore their clothes, beat them, and threw them in prison. Shortly after Paul and Silas were placed in prison, the jailor threw them into the inner chambers of prison and fastened their feet in stocks so that they would not escape.

There were so many things that Paul and Silas could have done because of the situation they were in. They could have yelled and complained to whoever had ears to hear. They could have tried to defend their innocence and give reasons as to why they should not be in prison. If it were at all possible, they could have had the leaders of the church issue a petition so that they could get released, but you know what ended up happening? Acts 16:25 (KJV) says, “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto their God: and the prisoners heard them.” At one of the darkest moments of their lives (both physically and spiritually), they could have turned their backs on God, but they chose to praise Him instead!  What choice will you make during your midnight season? How will you respond when “midnight” has come and paid you a visit?

When I say midnight, I’m not talking about literal midnight. You can have a midnight moment when it’s daylight outside. I’m talking about the moments in your life when everything that could possibly go wrong does. It’s easy to praise God when everything is going right in life. You have money in your bank accounts. You have good health. Your marriage is going great. Your children are well-behaved. The promotion on your job has just come through. But what about those moments when chaos has taken over your life? You have more month than money. Your spouse tells you they no longer love you and they want a divorce. Your children are in a disrespectful, rebellious state. You have multiple people in your family who are battling some type of sickness or ailment at the same time and the diagnosis doesn’t look good. Can you still give God true praise at midnight? Can you still trust Him to give you the strength that you need to get through whatever situation you are facing? Does your faith become stronger or does it get weaker by the minute?

Paul and Silas’ prayers and praises were so loud that not only did they get the prisoners attention, they also got the Father’s attention. An earthquake occurred that caused the foundation of the prison to shake and while the earthquake was going on, all of the prison doors opened and the shackles of the prisoners were loosen. This is living proof that when man tries to keep you bound, God has the power to set you free because when it comes to Him, nothing is impossible.

All of this put the jailer in a panic and he was going to kill himself, but Paul told him that he and the rest of the prisoners were still there. This moved the heart of the jailer so much that he ran to Paul and Silas and asked them, “What must I do to be saved?” At that very moment, despite their situation, Paul and Silas were still able to lead this man and everyone who was in his house to Jesus, how awesome is that! The jailer then shows compassion towards Paul and Silas by washing their wounds and shortly afterwards, he and his household were baptized. After being baptized, the jailer brings Paul and Silas to his house, feeds them, and rejoices about the fact that he and his family received God in their lives.

This is how Paul and Silas chose to respond to the midnight they were facing, how will you respond to yours? Will you still believe that God is with you, or will you feel like He has abandoned you? Will you remain faithful or will you become doubtful? Will you still have the desire to pray, or will you become convinced that your prayers are a waste of time?

It is during these times, your circumstances can seem to be intimidating, but you know what’s the beauty about midnight seasons? They do not last forever. Midnight is the darkest time of the night, but as soon as it ends, daylight is able to come. No matter how dark things may appear to be in your life, God will never leave you where you are. He has the power to deliver you from that which seems to be overtaking you and if He doesn’t get you out of it, He will give you the strength to get through it.

Paul and Silas gave us a great example of what to do when you find yourself in a terrible midnight season. They were falsely accused, beaten, and thrown in prison, but none of those things stopped them from praying and giving praises to the Father. He was able to use what Paul and Silas were going through to set those who were around them free. The darkest moments you find yourself in can be used to help somebody else, but it’s a choice. Choose to use your praise and prayers as weapons against the enemy and by doing so, you will find yourself speaking as Joseph spoke in Genesis 50:19 (NIV), “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

My prayer is that even during your midnight hour, you will have confidence in knowing that your daylight is coming. That no matter how bad things may appear to be or, how low you may think you are in your life, the Father is still able to reach you, and He will never leave you where you are. That if you believe in the power of prayer and praise, it will shake the very foundation of that which the enemy is trying to use against you. That if you choose to give prayer and praise to God at midnight, He will allow daylight to come, resulting in you walking in victory in Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.