Joel Osteen

We were doing what you wanted us to do.

But the scripture says at midnight, they were singing praises and giving thanks to God.

It's interesting that we're told when this happened.

Most other miracles we read about, we don't have the time.

That detail isn't recorded.

But God had the writer tell us this time because midnight means it was a new day.

As they were singing praises, suddenly there was a great earthquake.

The prison doors flew open, chains fell off their feet, and they walked out as free men.

It's not a coincidence that this all happened at midnight.

They may have been singing at 10 o'clock in the evening, nothing happened.

Thanking God at 11 o'clock, nothing happened.

Praising at 11.30, still nothing.

But when they hit midnight, when that new day started, suddenly things changed.

God was showing us it may be dark all around you.

You don't see a way out, but when you come into that new day, when you cross from PM to AM, things suddenly shift.

And sometimes you see it all at once, like with Paul and Silas.

Other times you see it later, but the moment you praise, things change in your favor.

There may be a period of darkness where it doesn't look like anything is happening, but if you'll do like them and just keep thanking God that he's fighting your battles, thanking him that he's making ways where you don't see a way, then you're going to come into these times where God will suddenly show out in your life.

He'll make things happen that you couldn't make happen.

You may have areas where it feels dark right now.