Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our Reading titled Impromptu Praise was written by Nancy Gavallanus.

During a short-term missions trip to Ethiopia,

our team accompanied another team from a local

ministry on an outreach to a group of young men who had hit hard times and were living in shacks

in a literal junkyard. They were such a delight to meet. We shared testimonies, encouraging

words and prayers together. One of my favorite moments that evening was when a local

team member played his guitar and we got to worship with our new friends under the radiant moon.

What a sacred moment. Despite their desperate situation, these men had hope and joy that can only be found in Jesus. In Acts 16, we read

about another impromptu praise time. This one broke out in a jail in the city of Philippi. Paul and Silas had been

arrested, beaten, flogged, and imprisoned while serving Jesus.

Instead of giving in to despair, they worshipped God by praying and singing in their jail cell.

Suddenly, there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken.

At once, all the prison doors flew open

and everyone's chains came loose.

The jailer's first thought was to end his life,

but when he realized the prisoners hadn't escaped,

he was in awe of God,

and salvation came to his family.

God delights in hearing us praise him. Let's worship him during both the highs and lows of life. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional

scripture reading is from Acts chapter 16 versus 16 through 26.

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future.

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