Sermon by – Lead Pastor Justin Kendrick – Vox Church
My Personal Sermon Notes …
Part 1: Promise Fulfilled in the Coming of the Holy Spirit to the Early Church
Part 2: The Early Church Was a Prayer-Saturated People
Part 3: The Spirit driven growth of the early church through Miracles
Part 4: Community and Sacrificial Love
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.” Acts 16:25-33 NIV
The book of Acts mentions prayer more than any other book in the Bible, except for Psalms. This highlights the prayerfulness of the people in Acts — imperfect people facing struggles, turning to prayer for strength, and witnessing miracles as a result.
Prayer is Not Transactional
Prayer isn’t a transaction where you make a request and expect a specific result — that would make you the boss. Instead, prayer is a dynamic, ongoing conversation with a God who is infinitely smarter and more knowledgeable than we are.
Approach God the way you would approach a loving parent — with honesty and trust. God responds to the cry of the heart, not just to the words we say. We are called to pray with bold, faith-filled prayers, but many of us have fallen out of the habit of asking God for big things.
Bold Prayers Bring Big Moves
The more you pray big prayers, the more you’ll notice “coincidences” and see God at work. All prayers start with one simple word: HELP. Prayer is the language of people in trouble, and it needs to become our native language. Staying connected to prayer is how we remain a branch attached to the vine — Jesus.
Reorienting Power of Prayer
When Paul and Silas went to Philippi to plant a church, they met a woman named Lydia. Lydia was the first ever recorded convert to Christianity in Europe. Woman were considered the least and the last in society, but God had big plans to set the world’s expectations on its head. When Paul and Silas spoke of the good news of Jesus the Messiah, the Jewish people of the city were so offended by their message that they chased them down, beat them, and threw them into the inner part of the prison in stocks.
Alone, in the dark, and bound in chains — they began praying and singing. This challenges our typical view of prayer. We often think prayer is supposed to make us more comfortable, but Paul and Silas show that the first purpose of prayer is orientation.
Prayer Reorients Your Perspective
How you see life is shaped more by your perspective than your circumstances. Prayer isn’t about achieving success; it’s about shifting your focus toward eternity. Prayer reorients you, reminding you that there’s more to life than your current problems.
Paul and Silas start to worship to remind them how big God is and how small their issue is.
The Bible calls to us to focus on things in our life that reflect the nature and character of God during times of distress.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 NIV
Transforming Power
At midnight, there was an earthquake, and the prison doors opened—right when it seemed too late. But God…
God didn’t prevent the suffering of His people; He didn’t act to avoid it. Suffering grieves God, and it is not caused by His hand. Instead of removing suffering, God often reorients it and uses it for His purposes.
Sometimes, the transforming power of God is revealed instantly, through what seems like immediate answers to prayer. But at other times, it unfolds through the growth that comes from enduring suffering. In those moments, God’s power isn’t just in the resolution, but in the transformation that happens within us as we persevere.
Infectious Prayer
All the prisoners were listening to Paul and Silas, intrigued by their prayers and worship. Then the earthquake came, the doors swung open, and the jailer panicked, thinking the prisoners had escaped. He was ready to take his own life. But the prisoners, deeply impacted by Paul and Silas, stayed.
The hardened guard witnessed this and fell to his knees, broken by what had just happened. He asked to be saved, along with his family. And so, they became the foundation of the church. All of this began with two men praying and God moving to orchestrate events no one could have anticipated.
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV
My Takeaway
Prayer is not transactional; it is a conversation with our Heavenly Father. We are called to use it regularly to align ourselves with the relationship we have with God and to gain perspective on our circumstances. It’s important to remember that we have a God who loves us personally and desires to draw us closer to Him. We are reminded that nothing can separate us from His love or our eternal future with Him. No trial or tribulation, when viewed through this lens, can overwhelm us. When we hold onto this truth and share it with others, not only will we overcome our challenges, but we will also have the opportunity to share this incredible truth with those around us
VoxNotas 
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