Paul and Silas in Prison

A girl had an evil spirit in her. Because people liked to hear the evil spirit speak, they paid the men with her to hear what it said. Acts 16:16

Paul and his friend Silas were teaching the gospel. The girl followed them, and Paul told the evil spirit to leave her. The men with her were angry. Now that the evil spirit was gone, they could not make any more money. Acts 16:17–19

The men took Paul and Silas to the leaders of their city and told them that Paul and Silas were troubling the city. The leaders believed the men. Acts 16:19–22

The people were angry, and they whipped Paul and Silas and put them into prison. Acts 16:22–24

That night Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to Heavenly Father. Everyone in the prison heard them. Suddenly the ground began to shake. The prison shook, and the doors of the prison opened. Acts 16:25–26

The guard woke up, saw the open doors, and thought that the prisoners had run away. Paul told him that all the prisoners were there. Knowing that God had made the ground shake and the prison doors open, the guard knelt by Paul and Silas and asked how he could be saved. Acts 16:27–30

Paul and Silas taught the guard the gospel. They left the prison and baptized him. They also baptized his family. Acts 16:31–33

Then Paul and Silas went back to the prison. The next day the leaders set them free, and Paul and Silas went to another city to do more missionary work. Acts 16:34–40

Illustrations by Paul Mann