One of my favorite stories from the New Testament is from Acts 16 where Paul and Silas are in the dungeon. I have lost count of the number of times I have shared different aspects of that story. There is such a richness and depth to the fact that when we are in great darkness, when we are surrounded by trial and tragedy, when life has whipped us good, then down comes the Lord as we cry out to Him and begin to praise his in spite of our circumstances. I want to share another aspect of this story.

When Paul and Silas found themselves in the lowest dungeon, having been scourged and now shackled and at the midnight hour, they did not begin to preach and teach theology to the other prisoners around them. They began to lift up the name of Jesus. They lifted His name on high with their praises and all the other prisoners could hear them. How they must have marveled at what they were hearing. This was not natural, this was something supernatural. And yet something more dynamic was just about to happen. A great earthquake occurred, the very foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors of the prison were flung open. Can you see the richness and the symbolism of what is going on here? Praise releases power. Lifting up the name of Jesus brings down the presence of God. When the presence of God comes down then men are released from their captivity.

Now we know that the jailer assumed, when he saw the cell doors flung open, that all the prisoners has fled. It is a perfectly reasonable assumption. Prisons in those days were not pleasant places, they were places of extreme darkness and despair. If a prisoner suddenly found his door flung open and he could make good his escape then of course that is exactly what he would do. Yet on this occasion, every man was still where he was. None had fled. Now why? Brothers and sisters I will tell you why, they were now no longer held captive by doors and prison cells, they were held captive by the presence of the living God. Enter into the presence of God and no man in his right mind would ever want to leave that place. Can I ask you, have you been so captivated by the presence of God?

The presence of God is life itself. Imagine having dwelt all of your life in sin and darkness and suddenly you are surrounded by His marvelous light. Think of the women at the feet of Jesus having been forgiven for so much now loving so much that her very tears can wash the feet of Jesus. Imagine the woman with the issue of blood reaching out and grabbing onto the very hem of His garment and suddenly power, healing power is flowing and coursing through her whole body. This presence of God, once experienced can never be forgotten. We are now no longer captives of this world, we are now captivated by the beauty and the holiness and the majesty and the glory of God. And when that happens, we are going to stay right there, right where He is.

Do you want to be personally revived? Lift up the name of Jesus, glorify Jesus, speak of Jesus, testify of Jesus, raise Him up, look up to Him, remember and bring to mind everything that He has done for you. Praise Him in the midnight hour of your life and down will come His marvelous light. Do you want to be revived corporately? Lift up the name of Jesus. Stop all your programs and seek our His glory. Lift up His name and praise Him for all His marvelous works. Throw open to your gathering opportunity to stand and testify of His glory. Ask the saints to simply stand and tell everyone what He has done in their lives. Dont do it for five minutes, if you genuinely do it time will lose its meaning. You will suddenly look at your watch and hours and hours will have passed by because in His presence time does not exist. People will not want to leave. People will not have to be encouraged to come to a gathering where the name of the Lord is being raised up and His presence has come down. Do you really want it brothers and sisters? It is that simple and that profound.