Singing in Jail

Acts 16:16-40

Our true story comes from a part of the Bible called Acts, which is short for “the Acts of the Apostles.” An apostle is someone who is sent to teach others about Jesus.

Paul and Silas loved Jesus and told everyone about Him.


One day, they helped a girl who needed God’s help. But some people didn’t like what Paul and Silas did, and they got very angry.


They had Paul and Silas taken away and put in jail!


The jail was dark, and Paul and Silas had chains on their feet. But guess what? They didn’t cry or complain.


They prayed and sang songs to God! All the other people in jail could hear them singing.


Then—BOOM!—there was a big earthquake! The ground shook, and the jail doors flew open. The chains came off! Everyone was free!


The jailer was scared. He thought all the prisoners had run away. But Paul called out, “Don’t worry! We are all here!”


 The jailer was so surprised. He asked Paul and Silas, “What do I need to do to be saved?”
! 


Paul and Silas told him all about Jesus. The jailer believed, and so did his whole family! They were very happy. That night, the jailer took care of Paul and Silas and gave them food. It was a joyful night!


Paul and Silas sang to God, even in a hard place. God helped them, and their singing helped others too.


We can pray and sing to God anytime, and He will always listen and help.


Dear God,

Thank You for helping Paul and Silas when they were in jail. Thank You that they prayed and sang to You, even when it was hard. Help us to remember that You are always with us, and help us tell others about Jesus with joy. We love You, God.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.



Bible Verse: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well.” — John 14:1, BSB

Paraphrase: “Don’t be afraid. Trust God, and trust Jesus too.”



Activities

These activities help preschoolers engage with the story through movement, crafts, music, and storytelling, making the lesson fun and memorable.


1. Singing in the Dark

Objective: Help children imagine praising God like Paul and Silas.

Materials: Flashlight or lantern, darkened room or corner.

Activity:

Dim the lights or sit in a darker area. Turn on a flashlight to represent the earthquake moment. Before the light, sing a simple praise song like “Jesus Loves Me” together. Let the children imagine what it was like to sing in jail.

Say: “Paul and Silas sang to God even when they were in jail. We can sing to God too!”


2. Chain Break Craft

Objective: Remind children how God set Paul and Silas free.

Materials: Paper strips, crayons, tape or glue.

Activity:

Let children color and connect strips of paper into a chain. Talk about how Paul and Silas were in chains. Then have them gently tear their chains apart while shouting, “God set them free!”
Say: “God helped Paul and Silas when they were in chains. He helps us too!”


3. Joyful Jump Game

Objective: Encourage joyful movement and praise.

Materials: None.

Activity:

Tell the children: “When you hear the word ‘sing,’ jump up and say, ‘Thank You, God!’” Read short sentences from the story and include the word “sing” throughout. Let them act it out with joy.

Say: “Paul and Silas sang to God—and we can sing and thank God too!”


4. Jailhouse Song and Rhythm (Music Activity)

Objective: Reinforce the story through music and movement.

Materials: Rhythm instruments or clapping hands.

Activity:

Sing to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”:

    “Sing, sing, sing to God,
    Even in the night.
    God will help us every day
    With His love and light!”

Let children play instruments or clap along.

Say: “No matter where we are, we can sing to God!”

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Story illustrations are the copyright of Sweet Publishing, Artist: Jim Padgett. Images are licensed to FreeBibleimages for free distribution under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license (http://freebibleimages.org).
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