Acts of the Apostles
Chapter
16
1. Paul went on also to Derbe and to Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his father was a Greek. 2. He was well spoken of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium. 3. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him; and he took him and had him circumcised because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 1 to 3)
Oh God my Father, You work in strange but effective ways. Had it not been for the confrontation that took place among the Apostles Paul may had not met Timothy whom he chose to accompany him. Nothing in this world oh God my Father happens without a purpose and is beyond Your control. I thank You for bringing the good out of even what seems to be a negative situation Amen.
4. As they went from town to town, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 4 to 5)
Oh God, my Father even though the apostle Paul may have not totally agreed with all the issues mentioned during the meeting he still obeyed to deliver the instructions that he had been given and not his own. Oh God may we be followers even though we may not always agree or see eye to eye in relation to decisions that are taken, may we obey instead of rebelling amen.
6. They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7. When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; 8. so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 6 to 8)
Oh Holy Spirit of God, I pray that You also be that active in my life, as much as You were with the apostles, in the sense of appearing and speaking to them and acting as a guide in their ways. However on reflecting, You speak to me in many ways especially during such moments of prayer and even throughout the day. The latest idea that I feel You are telling me is to add a bit of humour to this blog by adding a joke. I responded to this God-given idea and sent a request to whoever sends me an email or notification, however, I wait on You my, God to confirm if this is really Your will or not Amen.
9. During the night Paul had a vision; there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10. When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 9 to 10)
Oh God, how great is Your wisdom. You speak to me in many ways, that at times I do not understand the true meaning of Your message, however in time, You always reveal the truth behind the message Amen.
11. We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, 12. and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 11 to 12)
Oh God my Father at times we go for the shortcuts in order to save time. On a technological level meaning when using a computer it is acceptable, however when it comes to spiritual matters it is totally different. There are some who reason that if I did something wrong I go in front of an image of the cross or pray directly to You to seek confession instead of seeking absolution from a priest who is ordained to forgive sins according to the rights given by You to the Roman Catholic Church in regarding to the forgiving of sins. You told Peter that all that he forgives will be forgiven and all that he retains (in Your name and not in his!) will not be forgiven. In other spheres, of life, we are also seeking shortcuts, instead of seeking solutions we refer directly to lawyers to void a marriage, or an annulment tribunal in different cases, instead of seeking the appropriate help.
13. On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. 14. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshipper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. 15. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 13 to 15)
Oh God my Father any place we go may become a place of prayer, for You are not limited or confined solely to a particular place. Anywhere you send us You may have the intention of making us meet a person whom You can use us to proclaim the message of the "Good News" of the message of salvation that is found in the bible which is Your 'Word'
16. One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune telling.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verse 16)
Oh God my Father how cursed are such means of making money. Many people have come in contact with such negative people and in order to get what they desired, anything that You could have given them, if they had good I intentions, they end up losing both their faith and opening a door for the evil one to move in. May You protect us with the power of Your Holy Spirit against such evil Amen.
17. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation."
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verse 17)
Oh God my Father even the evil spirits speak of Your Name and address You as being the highest God. I pray that as believers in You, we also proclaim You as being the Most High God and not as some do by addressing You as 'the' or an 'absolute' which project an abstract being and not a loving Father who loves to communicate with His children. Amen.
18. She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, " I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verse 18)
Oh God my Father although this negative spirit was proclaiming a truth it was becoming annoying to the point that it had to be ordered not to possess the person anymore. As Christians and Roman Catholics, we need to be very careful when proclaiming Your Word, for we can also risk being annoying to others. In good faith oh God my Father I share each chapter that I pray on, however, others may still consider these posts as spam if they do not like it. Amen.
19. But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. 20. When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, "These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews 21. and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe."
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 19 to 21)
Oh God my Father as the maxim holds, we either make or break. Up to the point where we are benefiting from a person or source, we give praise and even worship as we do to You, however as soon as the person goes against our agendas we change our attitude and become negative to that same person and even to You, and forget all the good deeds that we had ever received from You or from that other person. Amen
22. The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23. After they had given them a severe flogging they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. 24. Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 22 to 24)
Oh Jesus Son of God my Father, how corrupt can we become. In order to please others and help to preserve the social order, Paul and Silas were flogged and imprisoned. I pray that for our own good and fort that of others we will never forsake justice and truth in order to be people pleasers and seek the benefit of the majority over the rights of individuals Amen.
25. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 25 to 26)
Oh God, my Father how great is the power of praise and worship. If it rocked the foundations of the prison and unfastened the chains of the prisoners thus giving them the opportunity to be free, praise and worship can also rock the foundations of our lives and set us free from all that is a bondage to us. You can free us of addictions, compulsions, issues of anger management, gambling and even more if we raise our hearts and spirits to You in praise and worship as did Paul and Silas, who used the hymns in order to pray.
I invite all who wish to join all the members of the Roman Catholic Church in the singing of such powerful and uplifting hymns I invite you to visit your play store and download the 'Divine Office' where we can pray with the psalms throughout the entire day. I invite you to click on the following link to view a sample of such prayers that are specifically tailored for each day ;-
The Divine Office
27. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped.
(Acts of the Apostle Chapter 16 verse 27)
Oh God, my Father there are moments when we act on a supposition and as in the case of the jailer we commit serious mistakes that may cost either our lives or those of others. Therefore, we are never to assume but discern the will of God before jumping to conclusions Amen.
28. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." 29. The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 28 to 29)
Oh God my Father please bring us out of our darkness, for we are able of causing much harm to ourselves and to others when we are in such a state of darkness. May Your light penetrate our state of darkness, so that we may all come trembling in Your presence Amen.
30. Then he brought them outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31. They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus. and you will be saved, you and your household."
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 30 to 31)
The jailer asked the fatal question in relation to his salvation. Many of us including myself, may be under the impression, that one needs to perform miracles or grandiose deeds in order to be worthy of salvation. However in truth, all we need to do is to believe in You my God and Father. Once we place our belief and trust in You alone our lives change, because we have resigned the old corruptible self with all its urges and sinful demands and this has transformed into a new updated self-based on You. Amen.
32. They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verse 32)
Every time oh God my Father that You permit us to meet someone, anywhere and anytime is a good moment for us to spread the "Good News", for that person may be in need of it especially during that particular moment Amen.
33. At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. 34. He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 33 to 34)
Oh God my Father as the guard took Paul and Silas and washed their wounds, You are also in the process of healing me of my wounds. Every day of my life is a day of therapy which is ongoing until I am fully healed Amen.
35. When morning came, the magistrates sent the police, saying, "Let those men go." 36. And the jailer reported the message to Paul, saying, "The magistrates sent word to let you go; therefore come out now and go in peace."
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 35 to 36)
Oh God my Father, acts of love and kindness are able to move mountains as You one told us, let alone soften the hearts of the authorities such as magistrates. Amen. I pray that when I appear before You my God and Father, I will also benefit from Your love and kindness Amen.
37. But Paul replied, "They have beaten us in public, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they going to discharge us in secret? Certainly not! Let them come and take us out themselves."
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verse 37)
As much as Paul felt proud that he was a Roman Citizen and felt that the way they were treated was not fair, as Christians and or Roman Catholics, we are also to feel proud that we are following You and that we are Your friends Amen. Moreover, we are also to take it personally when we witness non-believers placing Your name in disgrace for You are our God and Father and our belief means as much to us, as citizenship meant to Paul. Amen.
38. The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens; 39. so they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40. After leaving the prison they went to Lydia's home; and when they had seen and encouraged the brothers and sisters there, they departed.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 38 to 40)
Oh God my Father may power only be used but never abused, may we never need to refer to power, because everything will take place in a just and right way. May we be humble in heart and spirit and give thanks in a situation and not have higher expectations and complain because the situation could have been solved in a better way Amen.
Oh God my Father I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:
Oh God, my Father my ways are not always Your ways, however, I still thank and praise Your name for never quitting on me, even though we are so different from each other. I thank You for loving me as I am and not as You wish me to be. Amen.
4. As they went from town to town, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 4 to 5)
Oh God, my Father even though the apostle Paul may have not totally agreed with all the issues mentioned during the meeting he still obeyed to deliver the instructions that he had been given and not his own. Oh God may we be followers even though we may not always agree or see eye to eye in relation to decisions that are taken, may we obey instead of rebelling amen.
6. They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7. When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; 8. so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 6 to 8)
Oh Holy Spirit of God, I pray that You also be that active in my life, as much as You were with the apostles, in the sense of appearing and speaking to them and acting as a guide in their ways. However on reflecting, You speak to me in many ways especially during such moments of prayer and even throughout the day. The latest idea that I feel You are telling me is to add a bit of humour to this blog by adding a joke. I responded to this God-given idea and sent a request to whoever sends me an email or notification, however, I wait on You my, God to confirm if this is really Your will or not Amen.
9. During the night Paul had a vision; there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10. When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 9 to 10)
Oh God, how great is Your wisdom. You speak to me in many ways, that at times I do not understand the true meaning of Your message, however in time, You always reveal the truth behind the message Amen.
11. We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, 12. and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 11 to 12)
Oh God my Father at times we go for the shortcuts in order to save time. On a technological level meaning when using a computer it is acceptable, however when it comes to spiritual matters it is totally different. There are some who reason that if I did something wrong I go in front of an image of the cross or pray directly to You to seek confession instead of seeking absolution from a priest who is ordained to forgive sins according to the rights given by You to the Roman Catholic Church in regarding to the forgiving of sins. You told Peter that all that he forgives will be forgiven and all that he retains (in Your name and not in his!) will not be forgiven. In other spheres, of life, we are also seeking shortcuts, instead of seeking solutions we refer directly to lawyers to void a marriage, or an annulment tribunal in different cases, instead of seeking the appropriate help.
13. On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. 14. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshipper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. 15. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 13 to 15)
Oh God my Father any place we go may become a place of prayer, for You are not limited or confined solely to a particular place. Anywhere you send us You may have the intention of making us meet a person whom You can use us to proclaim the message of the "Good News" of the message of salvation that is found in the bible which is Your 'Word'
16. One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune telling.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verse 16)
Oh God my Father how cursed are such means of making money. Many people have come in contact with such negative people and in order to get what they desired, anything that You could have given them, if they had good I intentions, they end up losing both their faith and opening a door for the evil one to move in. May You protect us with the power of Your Holy Spirit against such evil Amen.
17. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation."
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verse 17)
Oh God my Father even the evil spirits speak of Your Name and address You as being the highest God. I pray that as believers in You, we also proclaim You as being the Most High God and not as some do by addressing You as 'the' or an 'absolute' which project an abstract being and not a loving Father who loves to communicate with His children. Amen.
18. She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, " I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verse 18)
Oh God my Father although this negative spirit was proclaiming a truth it was becoming annoying to the point that it had to be ordered not to possess the person anymore. As Christians and Roman Catholics, we need to be very careful when proclaiming Your Word, for we can also risk being annoying to others. In good faith oh God my Father I share each chapter that I pray on, however, others may still consider these posts as spam if they do not like it. Amen.
19. But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. 20. When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, "These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews 21. and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe."
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 19 to 21)
Oh God my Father as the maxim holds, we either make or break. Up to the point where we are benefiting from a person or source, we give praise and even worship as we do to You, however as soon as the person goes against our agendas we change our attitude and become negative to that same person and even to You, and forget all the good deeds that we had ever received from You or from that other person. Amen
22. The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23. After they had given them a severe flogging they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. 24. Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 22 to 24)
Oh Jesus Son of God my Father, how corrupt can we become. In order to please others and help to preserve the social order, Paul and Silas were flogged and imprisoned. I pray that for our own good and fort that of others we will never forsake justice and truth in order to be people pleasers and seek the benefit of the majority over the rights of individuals Amen.
25. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 25 to 26)
Oh God, my Father how great is the power of praise and worship. If it rocked the foundations of the prison and unfastened the chains of the prisoners thus giving them the opportunity to be free, praise and worship can also rock the foundations of our lives and set us free from all that is a bondage to us. You can free us of addictions, compulsions, issues of anger management, gambling and even more if we raise our hearts and spirits to You in praise and worship as did Paul and Silas, who used the hymns in order to pray.
I invite all who wish to join all the members of the Roman Catholic Church in the singing of such powerful and uplifting hymns I invite you to visit your play store and download the 'Divine Office' where we can pray with the psalms throughout the entire day. I invite you to click on the following link to view a sample of such prayers that are specifically tailored for each day ;-
The Divine Office
27. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped.
(Acts of the Apostle Chapter 16 verse 27)
Oh God, my Father there are moments when we act on a supposition and as in the case of the jailer we commit serious mistakes that may cost either our lives or those of others. Therefore, we are never to assume but discern the will of God before jumping to conclusions Amen.
28. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." 29. The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 28 to 29)
Oh God my Father please bring us out of our darkness, for we are able of causing much harm to ourselves and to others when we are in such a state of darkness. May Your light penetrate our state of darkness, so that we may all come trembling in Your presence Amen.
30. Then he brought them outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31. They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus. and you will be saved, you and your household."
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 30 to 31)
The jailer asked the fatal question in relation to his salvation. Many of us including myself, may be under the impression, that one needs to perform miracles or grandiose deeds in order to be worthy of salvation. However in truth, all we need to do is to believe in You my God and Father. Once we place our belief and trust in You alone our lives change, because we have resigned the old corruptible self with all its urges and sinful demands and this has transformed into a new updated self-based on You. Amen.
32. They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verse 32)
Every time oh God my Father that You permit us to meet someone, anywhere and anytime is a good moment for us to spread the "Good News", for that person may be in need of it especially during that particular moment Amen.
33. At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. 34. He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 33 to 34)
Oh God my Father as the guard took Paul and Silas and washed their wounds, You are also in the process of healing me of my wounds. Every day of my life is a day of therapy which is ongoing until I am fully healed Amen.
35. When morning came, the magistrates sent the police, saying, "Let those men go." 36. And the jailer reported the message to Paul, saying, "The magistrates sent word to let you go; therefore come out now and go in peace."
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 35 to 36)
Oh God my Father, acts of love and kindness are able to move mountains as You one told us, let alone soften the hearts of the authorities such as magistrates. Amen. I pray that when I appear before You my God and Father, I will also benefit from Your love and kindness Amen.
37. But Paul replied, "They have beaten us in public, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they going to discharge us in secret? Certainly not! Let them come and take us out themselves."
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verse 37)
As much as Paul felt proud that he was a Roman Citizen and felt that the way they were treated was not fair, as Christians and or Roman Catholics, we are also to feel proud that we are following You and that we are Your friends Amen. Moreover, we are also to take it personally when we witness non-believers placing Your name in disgrace for You are our God and Father and our belief means as much to us, as citizenship meant to Paul. Amen.
38. The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens; 39. so they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40. After leaving the prison they went to Lydia's home; and when they had seen and encouraged the brothers and sisters there, they departed.
(Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 38 to 40)
Oh God my Father may power only be used but never abused, may we never need to refer to power, because everything will take place in a just and right way. May we be humble in heart and spirit and give thanks in a situation and not have higher expectations and complain because the situation could have been solved in a better way Amen.
Oh God my Father I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:
Oh God, my Father my ways are not always Your ways, however, I still thank and praise Your name for never quitting on me, even though we are so different from each other. I thank You for loving me as I am and not as You wish me to be. Amen.
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