Music and Prayer

"It's 8:44 p.m. and we're still getting aftershocks! Can hear people gathered in the distance singing prayers."

So wrote Richard Morse, hotel manager at the Oloffson Hotel in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, on Twitter.com.

Does Mr. Morse's quote remind you of anything? Earthquake in the night and the sound of singing? Read this...

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" (Acts 16:25-28)

Interestingly, the Haiti earthquake caused the national prison to collapse, freeing the prisoners... who then escaped.

I've found that singing and prayer come in handy during times of crisis. I cannot even begin to tell you the number of times I have been calmed during a time of trouble by music and what I call "shotgun prayers." It doesn't matter what your nationality or part of the world. The same truth applies: music and prayer soothe a troubled heart.

Be God's.

.