(Acts 16:25 KJV) “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”
As we step into 2026, I believe God is calling us to more than goals, resolutions, or plans. He is calling us to character—the kind of character that stands firm in adversity, shines in darkness, and speaks loudly even when words are few. This year will not simply be another year on the calendar. 2026 will be a character-defining year.
Reflection
A GRAND Faith
A few years ago, we began a journey together by defining our faith—choosing to live out a GRAND faith for all to see. We described that faith as:
🔥 BIGGER
🔥 BETTER
🔥 BRIGHTER
🔥 BOLDER
A grand faith is not passive. It is visible. It is lived. It is demonstrated.
A HAVEN Place
We then defined what kind of church we would be—a HAVEN, a place marked by:
⚓ REFUGE
⚓ HARBOR
⚓ TURNAROUND
A haven is a place of safety, rest, and recovery from stormy waters. And throughout 2025, as we rallied around the declaration TOGETHER WE ARE GRAND, we strengthened our unity and mission in the midst of the storms.
Character Building
We have asked:
• What type of faith will we live?
• What type of church will we share?
Now we must ask: What type of people will we be? My prayer is simple: May we become men and women of CHARACTER. Before we reach Acts 16:25—and ultimately verse 26 for the new year ’26—we must understand what brought Paul and Silas to that defining moment.
Character Is Born Out of Adversity
(Acts 16:19–24 KJV) And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
Paul and Silas endured:
1. Arrest – their freedom taken
2. Lies – false accusations
3. Mischaracterization – false identity
4. Abuse – beaten unjustly
5. Imprisonment – confined
6. Chains – restricted and bound
Six—the number of man. This is what man did to them. But the question for us is: When mankind does everything it can against you, what type of person will you be? Godly character answers with confidence:
(Psalm 118:6 NKJV) “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
(Romans 8:31 KJV) “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
Character Is Best Displayed in the Darkness
Verse 24 says they were placed in the inner prison—the darkest, deepest part.
| The inner prison represents: | It is the place where: |
|---|---|
| • mental darkness • emotional heaviness • social isolation • spiritual pressure | • no one is watching • no one sees • no one notices |
And yet—this is where character is revealed. Who are you when no one is looking?
Character Is Proven at the Last Hour
Verse 25 begins with “at midnight.” Midnight is:
🕛 the last hour
🕛 the tired hour
🕛 the “I’m worn out” hour
🕛 the “I’ll deal with it tomorrow” hour
It’s the hour when questions rise:
❓ What does it matter anymore?
❓ Why should I care?
❓ Isn’t it too late now?
But midnight is where character speaks loudest.
Character Expressed
(Acts 16:25 KJV) “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”
2025 may have been a tough year for many. When pushed to their limits, Paul and Silas revealed who they truly were:
👥 A praying people
👥 A praising people
👥 A preaching people
So, the question becomes: WHAT TYPE OF PEOPLE WILL WE BE? Closing out the year 2025 and embracing the new 2026 year, ask yourself “Am I a person of Godly character when I am pushed to my limits?” I believe:
🔥 Miracles happen for a praying people
🔥 Atmospheres shift for a praising people
🔥 Breakthroughs follow a preaching people
A PRAYING PEOPLE
(Psalm 55:17, 22 NKJV) 17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. 22 Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
God hears every prayer. He answers every cry. Jeremiah declared:
“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV)
God even responds before we speak:
“It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24 NKJV)
And when we don’t know how to pray:
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26 NKJV)
The Spirit reveals what God has prepared:
(1 Corinthians 2:9–10 NKJV) But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.”
And God can do more than we ask:
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,” (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV)
(Vs22) Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
Here is a Truth…We cannot be moved when we are on our knees.
A PRAISING PEOPLE
“He has appointed…the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…” (Isaiah 61:3 KJV)
The garment of praise mirrors the priestly attire:
• The robe – with bells on the hem that made music
• The ephod – a breastplate symbolizing worship and communication with God
God has identified His people today to be priests in like manner for the purpose of singing His praise, as Peter wrote “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” (1 Peter 2:9 KJV). Today, these accessories symbolize:
Robe = music unto God
Ephod = songs of worship
Praise is something you put on. You wear it. You carry it. You shift atmospheres with it. And today, the Holy Spirit clothes us with power: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; …” (Acts 1:8 NKJV) The Apostle Paul wrote in Corinthians that we can “SING IN THE SPIRIT”. The Holy Spirit empowers us to sing in the storms.
When we praise God in the Spirit He enters our midst. Psalm 22 says “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” How amazing that God wants to be in the presence of your songs of praise to Him. In fact, modern translations even see the word “inhabits” as the word “enthroned”; implying that God sets up His glorious throne upon the praise that utters out of your lips. Gods own power and authority is in your praise.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV).
We can be assured of EVERY victory when we Praise Him, for the spirit of the Lord is there. Thus, Paul admonishes us to “Address one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” (Eph 5:19 ESV). Worship in corporate unity breaks oppression and advances the Kingdom.
A PREACHING PEOPLE
“…and the prisoners heard them.” (Vs 25)
Paul and Silas weren’t preaching a polished sermon. They were sharing a testimony. A testimony filled with prayer and praise, not bashing and criticism, nor of sorrow or hatred. Prisoners to their own sins and desires, will likely hear a testimony like that. It was this same Paul, who years later would write “I refuse to be ashamed of the wonderful message of God’s liberating power unleashed in us through Christ! For I am thrilled to preach that everyone who believes is saved…” (Romans 1:16 TPT)
When we preach, faith delivers:
“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): (Romans 10:8 NKJV)
When we preach, signs follow:
(Mark 16:15, 17–18 NKJV) “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” … And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Breakthroughs follow a people who preach the unaltered, unchanging Word of God through a life of unquestioned Godly character. Scripture beautifully describes a preaching people: “… How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:15 KJV). You will never be more sure-footed then when you stand on the truth of the Word of God and proclaim it with all authority and grace.
Character Results
(Acts 16:26 NKJV) Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.
In 2026, the development of Godly character will not be for nought. As we develop greater prayer lives, raise our voices in praise, and grow unashamed of our testimony, we will see with our eye’s the wonderful and miraculous works of the Lord. The example of Paul and Silas here, reveals the intervening hand of the Lord with supernatural outcomes manifesting for them which mirror Godly character. In verse 26 of this story, we discover four supernatural outcomes that will manifest in the year ’26:
✔️God will move suddenly
✔️Foundations will be shaken
✔️Opened doors will appear without hesitation
✔️Bondages will be loosed
In January of 2026 we will further explore these supernatural outcomes as we hear what the Spirit is saying for Grand Haven Church of God.
Stepping into 2026
What type of people will we, the Grand Haven Church of God, be in 2026? What type of person will you choose to be? I truly believe 2026 is a character-defining year imbued with supernatural outcomes. May God shape us into the people He has called us to be through the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in 2026.
Grand Haven Pentecostals 