Pastor column: Turning around a bad day
Have you ever had "one of those days?" One of those days when there was a hint that things were not going to go well and then it got worse?
The Apostle Paul and Silas were having “one of those days” (Acts 16). A slave girl, who had been a fortune teller, began to follow Paul and Silas shouting, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation" (vs. 17) and she kept this up for “many days” (vs. 18). Finally, Paul turned and said to her, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her" (vs. 18). She was delivered from the demonic spirit and lost her powers of fortune telling. Now she was being used by certain men to make money. When they saw what Paul and Silas had done they seized them and took them court. They were found guilty, stripped, beaten and thrown into prison. This had been a bad day.
What about you? Ever had a bad day? The Word for the believer is that God can make "all things work together for good" (Romans 8:28). Jesus promised, "In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). So how do you turn around a bad day? The solution is found in Acts 16, it says … “at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God” (Acts 16:25). I believe the problem of overcoming bad days can be reduced to this simple equation: “Prayer plus Praise equals Deliverance.”
Start by calling upon the Name of the Lord. James writes, "You have not because you ask not" (James 4:2). Jesus told his disciples, "Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:24). Isn't it strange that a crises moment causes us to forget to do the very things that will save us. I believe that bad days are bad days simply because we didn’t take our situation to the Lord in prayer.
After Paul and Silas prayed, they began to sing to God. Praise is the language of faith. In the natural you’d think their situation hadn’t changed — they had nothing to sing about. But God hadn’t forsaken them. A good way to turn around a bad day is to sing God’s praises. “From the rising of the sun, unto the going down of the same, the Lord's name is to be praised” (Psalm 113:3). Wherever I am, I'll praise Him. Whenever I can, I'll praise Him. I will praise the Lord!
Remember: Prayer plus Praise equals Deliverance. As Paul and Silas prayed and sang, the prison was shaken, the doors were opened and they were delivered. If God turned it around for them, He’ll turn it around for you. But don't forget to pray and don't ever stop praising Him from whom all blessing flow.
Rev. J. Patrick Street is the lead pastor of Redeemer Church in Marion. He can be reached at coachpatstreet@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Pray to God to turn around a bad day
