As I was leaving the gym, an old Selah song shuffled through my playlist called I Bless Your Name. This song tells the story from Acts 16 when Paul and Silas were imprisoned because of their faith. Instead of pouting, complaining or even sleeping, at the midnight hour they were praising the Lord.

As the lyrics floated through my car speakers, I, immediately, had a flashback to exactly where I was when I first heard that song. The location was Trinity Christian Center in Lakeland, FL, the singer was the husband of a dear friend and she was on the piano. When Philip sang the 2nd verse, I lost it!

Some midnight hour if you should find

You're in a prison in your mind

Reach out and praise, defy those chains

And they will fall in Jesus' name

Today, I can’t recall what issue took me to that prison in my mind but regardless I was in a prison. It was a daily struggle to get out of bed and face the day. Each morning, I would need to spend hours in the Word and then go on long walks in the Florida heat just to get a word from the Lord to get through the day.

On my walks, I had a playlist that was called Deliverance that was comprised of praise songs and the spoken Word. I Bless Your Name went to the top of that playlist. With the volume maxed out and the earphones in, I would sing with hands raised praising the Lord in straight out defiance of the chains.

The good news…I am no longer in prison. I can’t tell you my release date or when the chains fell off but I have walked through those prison gates. I am set free because of Jesus’ name.

What about you? Are you in a prison in your mind? Do you need to reach out and praise? Do you need to defy those chains?