“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and 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 bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.’ And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.” — Acts 16:25–32

Paul and Silas are imprisoned for ministering in Philippi. They are beaten and held captive in a prison cell, their legs fastened to the floors, surrounded by other prisoners. With no windows to the outside, the inner cell where they were being kept was dark even during the day, so as midnight drew near all they could hear was the sound of chains and shackles.

For many Christians around the world today, religious persecution and imprisonment is a very real threat. Others might not experience physical imprisonment, but an emotional or mental one. We all go through desperate times that we can’t overcome on our own. But in these dark times, God meets us with the miraculous.

When Paul and Silas choose to trust God in the midst of their circumstance, the prisoners’ chains come undone, but that’s not all that happens. Through this miracle, the jailer is also set free.

After witnessing this miracle and seeing the prisoners still in their cells, the jailer asks, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” He had seen the power and love of God firsthand. This miracle made an eternal impact in the life of the jailer and his family. It opened the door for the entire household to receive the gift of salvation. God has the power to set us free both physically and spiritually.

What’s amazing is that, as we continue reading the story, we see the Holy Spirit divinely orchestrates for Paul and Silas to be released the next morning. Even in the most impossible situations, God does not forget about us. As Paul and Silas trust God, not only does he deliver them from prison but he also uses them to proclaim the gospel to an entire household.