Paul’s second missionary journey began with a visit
to Derbe and Lystra (v. 1). There Paul met Timothy and brought him along to
help in the work of the gospel (v. 2-3). In their travels they shared the
decisions reached at the Council in Jerusalem (v. 4-5, see also Acts 15). The
Holy Spirit’s hand was active in Paul’s journeys. The Holy Spirit stopped Paul
from going to Asia. When this happened, Paul was led to preach the gospel in
Phrygia and Galatia (v. 6). Then the Holy Spirit stopped Paul from entering
Bithynia. That night Paul had a vision where he was prompted to go to Macedonia
(v. 8-10). Sometimes God prevents our plans from happening because He has
something even better in mind for us. One of the Macedonian cities Paul visited
was Philippi (v. 12). There a woman named Lydia, along with her household, gave
her hear to the Lord and was baptized (v. 13-15). Acts 16 concludes with a
well-known story. Paul and Silas were slandered and thrown into prison after
healing a demon-possessed girl (v. 16-24). While in jail, Paul and Silas were
praying and worshipping God (v. 25). Suddenly, an earthquake broke all of the
prisoners’ chains and opened the gates of the jail (v. 26)! Paul and Silas
could have saved themselves and made a quick escape. Instead, they stayed and
shared the message of Jesus’ salvation with the guard (v. 27-32). That night
the jailer and his household believed in Jesus (v. 34). The next morning Paul
and Silas were released (v. 35-36). Here we learn that Paul was a Roman citizen
(v. 37-38), a status that gave him certain legal rights and privileges not
experienced by non-citizens. This piece of information will continue to come into
play in the book of Acts, directly influencing the course of Paul’s journeys.
Journaling
and Prayer
1. Sometimes God stops our plans even when they
seem good to us. It was a good thing for Paul to desire to preach the gospel in
Asia and Bithynia. But God’s plans were even better. Have you ever experienced
a plan suddenly being stopped, only to find out that it would have prevented
you from doing something even better? Ask God if He desires to re-route any of
your current plans and replace them with something better.
2. Worship is extremely powerful! In Acts 16 we see
that Paul and Silas’ worship broke chains and set captives free. Spend some
time today worshipping God. Declare who He is and thank Him for His goodness.
If it helps, you can listen to worship music or pray words from Scripture (the
Psalms are an excellent place to look for inspiration to worship).
3. Spend some time today praying for Four Winds.
Pray for leaders to be empowered by God as they help people find freedom from
bondage. Pray for Four Winds cell groups to grow in unity, leading people to
maturity in their walks with God. Pray
for provision for the outreach aspects of the ministry (housing and
distribution center). Pray that these ministries would bless many people in
need, leading them to spiritual and emotional wholeness.
