Scripture
27The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
29The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 32And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. 33Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.
35The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, “Let those men go!” 36So the jailer told Paul, “The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace.”
37But Paul replied, “They have publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison—and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!”
38When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city. 40When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the home of Lydia. There they met with the believers and encouraged them once more. Then they left town.
The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Acts 16:29-30
Nothing is more stressful than feeling unprepared. Whether you have an unexpected house guest, a pop quiz, or a surprise meeting, feeling unprepared is never fun. Maybe you, like me, work hard to make sure that you are never caught unprepared in many areas of your life. Perhaps you think ahead to that meeting that might come up or clean your house often so that you are not surprised by the unexpected surprise visitor. We work hard to be prepared in many areas of our lives, but perhaps one area we forget about is preparing to share our faith. This is the most important thing we can ever be prepared to do.
Paul and Silas were clearly prepared at all times to share their faith. We know this because they were committed to sharing their faith all the time. Spreading the Good News about Jesus Christ was a part of their everyday rhythm. This was even true for Paul and Silas from prison. They had been arrested for their faith, miraculously freed from their prison cells by an earthquake sent by God, and immediately began sharing their faith with the jailor who had been guarding them. Because they were prepared, when the Philippians jailor asked Paul and Silas, "What must I do to be saved?" they were ready with their answer. "Believe in the Lord Jesus," they replied, "and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household" (verse 31). I'm not sure what Paul and Silas expected to happen that night after they were arrested, but I'm quite sure that they did not expect that they would be at the jailor's house, sharing the Gospel with his family. They were ready to share their faith, and they seized the opportunity when it came. They were prepared.
Paul and Silas' preparedness to share their faith serves as an example for you and me today. Like Paul and Silas, we must be ready at all times to share our faith, especially when we are in underdog situations. We must look for opportunities to tell people about our faith in Christ and be prepared when they come because even when we feel like an underdog, God is still working and moving in people's hearts and lives. May you and I have eyes wide open, ready to tell people about Jesus' love, peace, and forgiveness that He offers all who place their faith in Him.
Moving toward action
Take some time today to look over the Bridge Diagram, which is a method of sharing your faith in a clear, concise way. As you review it, begin to commit it to memory. Practice sharing it out loud. Commit to being prepared for every opportunity that comes your way to share your faith with the people around you.
Going deeper
Read Acts 16:27-40 (NLT)
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