The people of Philippi turned against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates tore off their clothes and ordered them to be flogged. They were given many lashes and then thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to keep them under guard, so he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. At midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, so that the prison was shaken to its foundations. At that moment, all the doors flew open, and the chains fell off everyone’s feet. The jailer woke up, and when he saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword to kill himself, thinking the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We’re all still here.” Then the jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down in fear before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked them, “What must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” And they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all in his house. The jailer took care of them immediately, in the middle of the night, and washed their wounds from the lashes. Then he himself was baptized, along with his entire household. He brought them up into his home and set a table for them, and he and his entire household rejoiced greatly that they had come to believe in God.
The Danger of Stopping Prayer: Lessons from St. Teresa of Avila If you’re ever tempted to stop praying, remember the powerful story of St. Teresa of Avila. Convinced she was bad and unworthy of God, she stopped praying for 15 years. The devil had convinced her that she was acting out of humility. Instead, this decision led her to become more sinful and less worthy of God. She later admitted that it nearly brought about her ruin. You will never be worthy of God if you stop praying. This is the powerful lesson that St. Teresa of Avila learned. She thought she was being holy and humble by giving up on prayer, but in fact she was playing right into the devil’s hands. When we pray, we don’t pray because we’re worthy of communing with God. We could never be worthy of speaking to Him, let alone receiving His very body in the Eucharist! And yet, this is a beautiful reminder of how deeply Jesus loves you and the profound humility we are called to imitate. He does not only associate with those who are “worthy” of Him. In the Gospels, we see Jesus freely associating with sinners of all kinds, while strongly condemning the “holier-than-thou” Pharisees. He wishes to speak to us even though we are not worthy. So never stop praying. Come to God exactly as you are, broken, imperfect, and in need of His grace. That is where His mercy meets us most powerfully. Keep praying, dear friends. Your consistency in prayer matters more than you know. ..... Inspired by the life and testimony of St. Teresa of Avila
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