Daily Hope with Pastor John S. Dickerson

In today's Daily Hope, Pastor John S. Dickerson takes a second look at Acts chapter 16, verse 25, where Paul and Silas pray and sing hymns to God at midnight in prison.

Pastor John connects this to Colossians chapter 3, where we are told to set our hearts and minds on things above. If you struggle with anxiety, negativity, or a lack of hope and joy, he suggests learning the practice of speaking Scripture and prayer out loud. Praying aloud helps your brain lock in, and as you keep praying, or sing a worship song, it lifts your heart and mind.

He gives practical advice for doing this without it being for show: begin in your private time with God, in a prayer closet or in the car. Over time, praying out loud around others becomes natural. Paul and Silas did not begin this in a crisis. It was their normal way of life.

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In today's Daily Hope, Pastor John S. Dickerson shares one of his two favorite verses in Acts chapter 16: verse 25, where about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God.

Beaten, falsely accused, and thrown into prison, they are in physical agony, yet they are praying out loud and singing. Pastor John asks listeners how many people have ever heard them pray out loud or sing a hymn, and admits that he is not a great singer but that the people he is close to need to hear his heart.

He reminds us that God created the universe by speaking and that our words have power to bring life or death. He then prays for boldness to pray out loud, even around people who do not believe, and suggests a simple step: next time you have lunch with a friend, ask if you can pray, and if there is something you can pray for them.

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In today's Daily Hope, Pastor John S. Dickerson continues the story of Paul and Silas in Acts chapter 16, verse 24, where they are placed in the inner cell of the prison with their feet fastened in stocks.

Pastor John describes how hard it is to comprehend this physical suffering, and then invites listeners to identify the prison they are in right now. It may be chronic illness, cancer, divorce, aging, emotional pain, or the prison of depression.

He then leads a prayer asking God for the kind of hope and joy Paul and Silas had. He prays for deliverance, as we may pray for our daily bread, and also that God would use us in our prison. Pastor John believes that if we are in a hard place for a reason, there may be other people nearby who need to meet Jesus or know Him more deeply.

The prayer reminds us that our prisons are temporary and that God promises to work them for good.

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In today's Daily Hope, Pastor John S. Dickerson continues the story of Paul and Silas in Acts chapter 16, verse 23.

After being falsely accused and severely flogged, Paul and Silas are thrown into a prison that is nothing like a modern one. It is a dark, dripping stone dungeon, and the jailer is told to guard them carefully. Their wounds are not cleaned or treated.

Pastor John asks listeners to imagine themselves in that position. He admits that, even with faith that God is in control, he would probably want to pause the spiritual language and say that this is terrible, his back hurts, and he is tired.

That honest question sets up the next episodes, where Paul and Silas surprise everyone with joy and hope.

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In today's Daily Hope, Pastor John S. Dickerson continues the series on the opposition we will face as we pursue revival, which is reviving our own heart love for God. He explains that Satan's primary weapon is distraction. If that fails, he may try temptation, and if that fails because we live in ongoing repentance, he will come with opposition.

In Acts 16, the crowd joins the attack, and Paul and Silas are stripped and beaten with rods for the work they are doing for Jesus. Pastor John says that when we step out for Jesus and face rejection or persecution, we are joining in the suffering of Christ. He also notes that emotional suffering, like betrayal from within or lies about our character, can sometimes be harder than physical pain. Paul and Silas do not stress themselves defending their names. They trust God.

Pastor John also invites listeners to keep praying the daily revival prayer at therevivalproject.org.

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In today's Daily Hope, Pastor John S. Dickerson asks a question: what if you could have hope and joy in the middle of suffering and adversity? He follows Paul and Silas in Acts 16 as they are singled out, dragged before the magistrates, and falsely accused. That is real suffering, and yet they will be full of hope and joy because they are full of the Holy Spirit.

Pastor John says this is not just for them. It is an example for us today. He shares how revival leaders like George Whitefield, Charles Finney, and John Wesley faced mobs and opposition with a boldness that came from being full of the Holy Spirit, not from their personality.

So how do you prepare for opposition, whether it is temptation, division, or something more direct? The answer is the same: live in ongoing repentance, revive your heart love for God, renew your mind in the Word of God, and walk with God. When opposition comes, He will guide you through it by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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In today's Daily Hope, Pastor John S. Dickerson looks at the moment in Acts 16 when Paul and Silas are physically seized and dragged into the marketplace to face the authorities. Pastor John shares his prayer that his faith would be strong enough, and his connection to the Holy Spirit close enough, to stay at peace if he ever faced something like that.

Jesus told His followers that if they hated Him, they will hate us, and that when we are dragged before rulers, the Holy Spirit will tell us what to say. Pastor John points to Stephen in the early chapters of Acts, who was filled with the Holy Spirit and at peace as a mob surrounded him, and who saw heaven opened. Throughout history, many Christians who faced persecution have had deep joy and peace, because in hard times, everything becomes clear and we remember this world is not our home.

There is no amount of pressure you are not equipped for if you know the Word of God and are full of the Holy Spirit. We do not seek persecution, and we do not need to fear it.

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In today's Daily Hope, Pastor John S. Dickerson continues the revival journey in Acts 16, in the Roman colony of Philippi. After Paul casts the demon out of the slave girl, her owners realize their hope of making money is gone, and they seize Paul and Silas and drag them before the authorities.

Pastor John names three kinds of opposition to expect when we seek first the kingdom of God: demonic opposition, human opposition from unbelievers, and human opposition from believers, whose own pride or jealousy can lead them to tear down the work of God. This episode shows opposition from outside.

Pastor John also reflects on how Jesus, who came to set the captives free, has inspired Christians through history to stand against slavery. None of us is perfect, but if we stick to Jesus and what He teaches, we will be on the right side of setting captives free.

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In today's Daily Hope, Pastor John S. Dickerson continues the revival journey in Acts 16, in the Roman colony of Philippi, where a demon-possessed slave girl follows Paul and his companions for many days. Paul finally turns and says, in the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her.

Pastor John explains that when we face spiritual warfare, we never obsess over the enemy. We keep our eyes on Jesus, our commander in chief, and we go to Scripture, not tradition, for how to respond. He shares how simply he prays this same prayer in the name of Jesus.

He also explains that a Christian cannot be demon possessed, but can be influenced or deceived, such as when someone uses their words to tear down another believer or break up a church. Jesus came to give life, and life to the full. Pastor John also recommends The Invisible War by his friend Chip Ingram.

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In today's Daily Hope, Pastor John S. Dickerson continues in Acts 16, where Paul, Silas, Luke, and Timothy meet a demon-possessed slave girl in Philippi. Paul faced whippings, prisons, and mobs, so Pastor John reminds us that opposition should not surprise us when we pursue revival.

Pastor John shares a personal story of receiving threats from a man who seemed to be under demonic influence, of praying for him, and of the peace the Holy Spirit gave him through it. He reminds listeners that the same Holy Spirit who was in Paul and Jesus lives in every believer today.

When we start reviving our heart love for God, it stirs things in the unseen realm, and we do not need to be afraid. Satan cannot stop the work of God in you. He can only try to discourage and distract you, through sin, opposition, or division. So stay unified, stay faithful, keep repenting, and remember that greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

Text "DAILY" to 71093 to receive Daily Hope videos sent to your phone every day.

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More resources: https://www.connectionpointe.org/revival/