The power of praise! - Mae Renfroe

I love these verses here in Acts 16 of Paul & Silas praying and singing praises to God in prison. Were they happy to be in prison?
No!
Were they feeling really good about then with all those stripes on their backs. I don't think so! But that didn't stop them from praying and praising God.
​ Why? Because they were filled with the joy of the Lord. The presence of God was in that place with them .
They had the peace of God that passes human understanding. They were filled with God's Holy Spirit. And guess what their prison bands fell off and they were able to witness to the keeper of the prison ! Do you think the bands would have fell off if they were grouchy and complaining? No! Could they have been a witness?
Nope!!
What a beautiful example. Can we praise God like this? Can we praise Him not only when everything is going great, but in our trials, afflictions, and sufferings too?
And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard 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 every one's bands were loose.
Acts 16:23‭-‬26 KJV
And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
Acts 16:27‭, ‬29‭, ‬31‭-‬33 KJV