Skip to main content

ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD

THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)

DATE: WEDNESDAY, 1ST FEBRUARY, 2023 
         
TOPIC: ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR 
TEXT: ACTS 16:16-40

16. Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 
17. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 
18. And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. 
19. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
20. And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; 
21. and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” 
22. Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 
23. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 
24. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 
26. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. 
27. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 
28. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
29. Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 
30. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31. So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 
32. Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 
33. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 
34. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.
35. And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Let those men go.”
36. So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”
37. But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.”
38. And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. 
39. Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city. 
40. So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.

 

MESSAGE: 
Romans 8:28 states in part, “...all things work together for good to those who love God....” This played out in our text today. In their ministry journey, Paul and Silas met the girl described here as possessing the spirit of divination. Paul, in the power of the Holy Spirit, cast out the spirit. This resulted in severe beating and imprisonment for them. However, despite their travail, they resorted to praising God who came to their rescue! This led to the repentance of the jailer and his household.When Christians face trials, they fail to ask God to work out His purpose through their experiences. It is true that trials are usually tough and unexpected, but God knows why they come to us. What He requires from us is to trust Him and allow Him to turn the situation for good to give Him glory. If Paul and Silas had started to lament in the prison and possibly abuse and curse God, God would not have intervened and the jailer would not have encountered Christ and the disciples would have rot in prison. Let us always leave matters in God's hands.


PRAYER: 
Dear Father, may You help me to trust You in all situations and leave You to work out things good from them. Amen.

All things shall work in your favour this month in Jesus name. Happy New Month!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CHURCH OF NIGERIA ELECTS NEW BISHOPS AND ONE ARCHBISHOP

The Episcopal synod of the church of Nigeria Anglican Communion has elected six new Bishops, and one Archbishop. The election which took place at the Basilica of Grace Apo, Gudu district in the Diocese of Abuja on Thursday October 29, 2009 has the following:- The Rt. Rev. Friday John Imaekhai Bishop, Diocese of Esan, Elected: - Archbishop of Bendel to replace The Primate elect, The Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh The very Rev. Ralph Ebirien of St Stephen’s Cathedral Bonny Elected: - Bishop of Niger Delta Diocese The Venerable Ezekiel Bolarinde Dahunsi of Church of Pentecost FESTAC Lagos Elected: - Bishop Diocese of Ido- Ani The Rev. Canon Justus Emeka Mogekwu of St. Paul’s Kakuri, Kaduna Elected:-Bishop Diocese of Asaba to replace Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh. The Venerable (Prof.) Dapo Folorunso Asaju of the chapel of Light, Lagos (LASU) Elected:-Bishop for Theological Education in the office of the Primate The Venerable James Olaoti Akinola of St. James Iludun Oro, Kwara S
Post a Comment
Read more

EXCERPTS FROM: 24/7 WARFARE PRAYERS AND SUPERNATURAL BREAKTHROUGH MANUAL

INTRODUCTION Right from childhood, the number “SEVEN” has always been an intrigue, an interesting puzzle, a fascination, and a great phenomenon to me. I was actually born on the seventh day of the month; perhaps this was one of the reasons why something leaps inside of me whenever I see the number. But as I grew up in the Christian faith I began to see a regular reference to it the scriptures. I was kind of saying, whoa! Holy bliss! Seven occurs 257 times, or 7 × 41 Seventh, the fractional part occurs 98 times or 7× 14 Seven –fold occurs 7 times. Seventy occurs 56 times or 7× 8 “Seventy” in combination with other numbers occurs 35 times or 7× 5. God is pleased to stamp the number “Seven” with the seal of perfection and completeness. God never down played the importance of the number, because it was the number of God. It is a carrier of God’s mysteries. It pleased God that, the Seventh man from Adam – Enoch sh
Post a Comment
Read more

FIVE NEW FULL FLEDGED ANGLICAN DIOCESES

Five new Dioceses have been created in the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion. The Church's official website - http://www.anglican-nig.org/main.php?k_j=12&d=352&p_t=index.php? posted the information thus: The Standing Committee Meeting of Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion has approved the creation of five new full fledged Dioceses at their meeting at the Cathedral Church of St. Stephen’s Umuahia, Abia State. They are Shendam Diocese carved out of Langtang Diocese, Plateau state, Ido-Ani Diocese from present Owo Diocese, in Ondo state, Igbomina West from Igbomina Diocese,Kwara state, Ilesha North East from Ilesha in Osun state and Ijebu South West from Ijebu Diocese in Ogun state. At the presentation, the head of the Committee responsible for creation of new Dioceses, the most Rev. Joseph Akinfenwa Archbishop Ibadan Province and Bishop of Ibadan who led a team of four assured the house that the stage is set and the New Dioceses have met all the requirements for creation
Post a Comment
Read more