Acts 16:16 - Prayer Tents



Share: Select All button

Previous ChapterNext ChapterReduce Font SizeIncrease Font Size
Acts 16
The Message Help

A Dream Gave Paul His Map

16Paul came first to Derbe, then Lystra. He found a disciple there by the name of Timothy, son of a devout Jewish mother and Greek father.G1161G2658G1519G1191G2532G3082G2532G2400G5100G3101G2258G1563G3686G5095G5207G5100G1135G2453G4103G1161G3962G1672 2Friends in Lystra and Iconium all said what a fine young man he was.G3739G3140G5259G80G1722G3082G2532G2430 3Paul wanted to recruit him for their mission, but first took him aside and circumcised him so he wouldn't offend the Jews who lived in those parts. They all knew that his father was Greek.G5126G2309G3972G1831G4862G846G2532G2983G4059G846G1223G2453G3588G5607G1722G1565G5117G1063G1492G537G3754G846G3962G5225G1672 4As they traveled from town to town, they presented the simple guidelines the Jerusalem apostles and leaders had come up with.G1161G5613G1279G4172G3860G846G1378G5442G2919G5259G652G2532G4245G3588G1722G2419 5That turned out to be most helpful. Day after day the congregations became stronger in faith and larger in size.G3303G3767G4732G1577G4732G4102G2532G4052G706G2250G2596 6They went to Phrygia, and then on through the region of Galatia. Their plan was to turn west into Asia province, but the Holy Spirit blocked that route.G1161G1330G5435G2532G5561G1054G2967G5259G40G4151G2980G3056G1722G773 7So they went to Mysia and tried to go north to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus wouldn't let them go there either.G2064G2596G3465G3985G4198G2596G978G2532G4151G1439G846G3756 8Proceeding on through Mysia, they went down to the seaport Troas.G1161G3928G3465G2597G1519G5174 9That night Paul had a dream: A Macedonian stood on the far shore and called across the sea, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!"G2532G3705G3700G3972G1223G3571G2258G2476G5100G435G3110G3870G846G2532G3004G1224G1519G3109G997G2254 10The dream gave Paul his map. We went to work at once getting things ready to cross over to Macedonia. All the pieces had come together. We knew now for sure that God had called us to preach the good news to the Europeans.G1161G5613G1492G3705G2112G2212G1831G1519G3109G4822G3754G2962G4341G2248G2097G846 11Putting out from the harbor at Troas, we made a straight run for Samothrace. The next day we tied up at New CityG3767G321G575G5174G2113G1519G4543G5037G1966G1519G3496 12and walked from there to Philippi, the main city in that part of Macedonia and, even more importantly, a Roman colony. We lingered there several days.G5037G1564G1519G5375G3748G2076G4413G4172G3310G3109G2862G1161G2258G1722G5026G4172G1304G5100G2250 13On the Sabbath, we left the city and went down along the river where we had heard there was to be a prayer meeting. We took our place with the women who had gathered there and talked with them.G5037G4521G2250G1831G1854G4172G3844G4215G3757G4335G3543G1511G2532G2523G2980G1135G4905 14One woman, Lydia, was from Thyatira and a dealer in expensive textiles, known to be a God-fearing woman. As she listened with intensity to what was being said, the Master gave her a trusting heart—and she believed!G2532G5100G1135G3686G3070G4211G4172G2363G4576G2316G191G3739G2588G2962G1272G4337G2980G5259G3972 15After she was baptized, along with everyone in her household, she said in a surge of hospitality, "If you're confident that I'm in this with you and believe in the Master truly, come home with me and be my guests." We hesitated, but she wouldn't take no for an answer.G1161G5613G907G2532G846G3624G3870G3004G1487G2919G3165G1511G4103G2962G1525G1519G3450G3624G3306G2532G3849G2248

Beat Up and Thrown in Jail

16One day, on our way to the place of prayer, a slave girl ran into us. She was a psychic and, with her fortunetelling, made a lot of money for the people who owned her.G1161G1096G2257G4198G1519G4335G5100G3814G2192G4151G4436G528G2254G3748G3930G846G2962G4183G2039G3132 17She started following Paul around, calling everyone's attention to us by yelling out, "These men are working for the Most High God. They're laying out the road of salvation for you!"G3778G2628G3972G2532G2254G2896G3004G3778G444G1526G1401G5310G2316G3748G2605G2254G3598G4991 18She did this for a number of days until Paul, finally fed up with her, turned and commanded the spirit that possessed her, "Out! In the name of Jesus Christ, get out of her!" And it was gone, just like that.G1161G5124G4160G1909G4183G2250G1161G3972G1278G1994G2532G2036G4151G3853G4671G1722G3686G2424G5547G1831G575G846G2532G1831G846G5610 19When her owners saw that their lucrative little business was suddenly bankrupt, they went after Paul and Silas, roughed them up and dragged them into the market square. Then the police arrested themG1161G846G2962G1492G3754G1680G846G2039G1831G1949G3972G2532G4609G1670G1519G58G1909G758 20and pulled them into a court with the accusation, "These men are disturbing the peace—dangerous Jewish agitatorsG2532G4317G846G4755G2036G3778G444G5225G2453G1613G2257G4172 21subverting our Roman law and order."G2532G2605G1485G3739G1832G3756G1832G2254G3858G3761G4160G5607G4514 22By this time the crowd had turned into a restless mob out for blood. The judges went along with the mob, had Paul and Silas's clothes ripped off and ordered a public beating.G2532G3793G4911G2596G846G2532G4755G4048G846G2440G2753G4463 23After beating them black and blue, they threw them into jail, telling the jailkeeper to put them under heavy guard so there would be no chance of escape.G5037G2007G4183G4127G846G906G1519G5438G3853G1200G5083G846G806 24He did just that—threw them into the maximum security cell in the jail and clamped leg irons on them.G3739G2983G5108G3852G906G846G1519G2082G5438G2532G805G846G4228G805G1519G3586 25Along about midnight, Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God. The other prisoners couldn't believe their ears.G1161G2596G3317G3972G2532G4609G4336G5214G2316G1161G1198G1874G846 26Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose.G1161G869G1096G3173G4578G5620G2310G1201G4531G5037G3916G3956G2374G455G2532G3956G1199G447 27Startled from sleep, the jailer saw all the doors swinging loose on their hinges. Assuming that all the prisoners had escaped, he pulled out his sword and was about to do himself in, figuring he was as good as dead anyway,G1161G1200G1096G1853G2532G1492G5438G2374G455G4685G3162G3195G337G1438G3543G1198G1628 28when Paul stopped him: "Don't do that! We're all still here! Nobody's run away!"G1161G3972G5455G3173G5456G3004G4238G4572G3367G2556G1063G2070G537G1759 29The jailer got a torch and ran inside. Badly shaken, he collapsed in front of Paul and Silas.G1161G154G5457G1530G2532G1096G1790G4363G3972G2532G4609 30He led them out of the jail and asked, "Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved, to really live?"G2532G4254G846G1854G5346G2962G5101G1163G3165G4160G2443G4982 31They said, "Put your entire trust in the Master Jesus. Then you'll live as you were meant to live—and everyone in your house included!"G1161G2036G4100G1909G2962G2424G5547G2532G4771G4982G2532G4675G3624 32They went on to spell out in detail the story of the Master—the entire family got in on this part.G2532G2980G846G3056G2962G2532G3956G1722G846G3614 33They never did get to bed that night. The jailer made them feel at home, dressed their wounds, and then—he couldn't wait till morning!—was baptized, he and everyone in his family.G2532G3880G846G1722G1565G5610G3571G3068G575G4127G2532G907G846G2532G3956G846G3916 34There in his home, he had food set out for a festive meal. It was a night to remember: He and his entire family had put their trust in God; everyone in the house was in on the celebration.G5037G321G846G1519G3624G3908G5132G3908G2532G21G4100G2316G3832G846G3832 35At daybreak, the court judges sent officers with the instructions, "Release these men."G1161G1096G2250G4755G649G4465G3004G630G1565G444G630 36The jailer gave Paul the message, "The judges sent word that you're free to go on your way. Congratulations! Go in peace!"G1161G1200G518G5128G3056G4314G3972G3754G4755G649G2443G630G3568G3767G1831G4198G1722G1515 37But Paul wouldn't budge. He told the officers, "They beat us up in public and threw us in jail, Roman citizens in good standing! And now they want to get us out of the way on the sly without anyone knowing? Nothing doing! If they want us out of here, let them come themselves and lead us out in broad daylight."G1161G3972G5346G4314G846G1194G2248G1219G178G5225G4514G444G906G1519G5438G2532G3568G1544G2248G1544G2977G3756G1063G235G2064G846G1806G2248G1806 38When the officers reported this, the judges panicked. They had no idea that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.G1161G4465G312G5023G4487G4755G2532G5399G191G3754G1526G4514 39They hurried over and apologized, personally escorted them from the jail, and then asked them if they wouldn't please leave the city.G2532G2064G3870G846G2532G1806G2065G1831G4172 40Walking out of the jail, Paul and Silas went straight to Lydia's house, saw their friends again, encouraged them in the faith, and only then went on their way.G1161G1831G1537G5438G1525G1519G3070G2532G1492G80G3870G846G2532G1831


The Message (MSG). All Scripture quotations are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. More details.
Old Testament
  • 25. Lamentations (5)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 29. Joel (3)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 31. Obadiah (1)
  • 1
  • 34. Nahum (3)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 35. Habakkuk (3)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 36. Zephaniah (3)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 37. Haggai (2)
  • 1
  • 2

New Testament
  • 50. Philippians (4)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 51. Colossians (4)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 52. 1 Thessalonians (5)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 53. 2 Thessalonians (3)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 55. 2 Timothy (4)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 56. Titus (3)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 57. Philemon (1)
  • 1
  • 61. 2 Peter (3)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 63. 2 John (1)
  • 1
  • 64. 3 John (1)
  • 1
  • 65. Jude (1)
  • 1
Please login to see history of your searches
Table of Contents
Hide Subtitles
Hide Footnotes
Spacing: 0 1 2 3
Verse Numbers Toggle
Strong Numbers Toggle
Info Language ArrowReturn to top