At Midnight
by Russell Kelfer
Use the “Play” ► button above to listen to the poem:
“At midnight, Paul and Silas prayed,
Singing praises” says the Word.
Within itself – that’s sensible,
(That men should praise the Lord.)
But read the total story,
And consider if you will,
The circumstances they were in,
And that they praised Him still.
Circumstances? Selfish men
Had lied about their goals,
And said that Paul and Silas
Were troubling good men’s souls.
And a maddened, godless people,
Emotionally impressed,
Cried out in righteous anger
And demanded their arrest.
And so Paul and Silas went to jail,
And beaten o’er and o’er,
They then, blood red, were cast in shame
Behind the prison door.
Into the inner chamber,
With all its doors and locks,
To double-guard these harmless men,
Their feet were placed in stocks.
Now take up the story, Christian,
Re-read it from God’s Word,
It was in this condition that
They sang and praised the Lord.
But their eyes were on the Master
(And He was not in chains;)
And when Jesus comes on center stage
All power and hope remains.
So unmindful of the circumstance
Amidst life’s darker days,
They envisioned freedom in the Lord
And they began to praise.
And as they praised, and as they sang,
Their chorus joyfully –
The chains were loosed and open doors
Revealed God’s men were free!
And all within the prison gained
The right to go as well,
Because two men, believing God,
A song of praise could tell.
But freedom wasn’t all they sought
For Paul and Silas stayed,
To share their inner freedom
With the guard for whom they prayed.
And in that powerful moment,
Engraved in history,
Came the greatest miracle of all:
A guard – in Christ – set free.
We too, are sent to prison
(Circumstantially,)
And often we in bondage
Cry out in agony!
But the perfect will of God for us
Is that we learn to praise
Amidst the guards and prisoners
Who do not know God’s ways.
Casting open prison doors
For God’s a simple task,
And circumstances gloomy
‘Ere long indeed will pass.
But if we sing amidst it all,
And praise Him faithfully,
Not only we, my Christian friend,
But others can go free.
And more important as we praise,
Cannot we dare to share,
The way to perfect freedom
With those who’ve heard us there?
Paul and Silas, thank you
May ‘ere your chorus ring,
And from this day, in prison may
We learn to praise and sing.
DTM Discipleship Tape Ministries
POB 782256, San Antonio, TX 78278
1-800-375-7778 or 210-226-0000
www.dtm.org • dtm@dtm.org • © Russell Kelfer
