Power of Praise
There is power in praise and worship.
Praise wins battles, sets the captives free, breaks down walls, and
binds the enemy with chains and fetters.
While the Israelites were following the Cloud in the wilderness, when it
was time to set up camp, they did so in a very organized fashion.
Judah, Issachar and Zebulun were on the East side. Dan, Asher and Naphtali were on the North side. Gad, Simeon and Reuben were on the South side. Benjamin, Manasseh and Ephraim were on the West side. The Tabernacle was in the middle of the camp, along with the three families of the priests (Merari, Kohath and Gershon).
When the Cloud moved, the camps marched forward with Judah as the leader
and Benjamin, Manasseh and Ephraim in the back.
There is prophetic significance to this. Judah means “praise”. Judah
shall go up first (Judges 20:18). “Praise” always goes first.
There are many battles we face during the course of our lifetime.
Sometimes these battles can be overwhelming and the warfare is intense.
Sometimes we are faced with more than one battle at the same time, and it
becomes too enormous for us to handle on our own.
We can turn to the Lord for help in our time of need. He is our refuge
and strength, an ever present help in the time of trouble (Psalms 46:1). We
don’t have to rely on our own strength or power. When we turn these battles
over to the Lord, He promised He would be there to fight our battles for us.
“The battle is the Lord’s” was the prophetic message that Jahaziel
prophesied over King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:14. The kingdom of Judah
was faced with three powerful nations, who had joined alliances, coming against
them to attack.
The odds were not stacked in the kingdom of
Judah’s favor. The Moabites, Ammonites and Meunites were too powerful for them
to subdue. And other nations had more sophisticated weapons and were more
skillful in warfare tactics. It looked like Judah would be defeated unless God
supernaturally intervened.
King Jehoshaphat rallied the people together and they fasted and sought
the Lord. Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, a Levite (the tribe
of priests and musicians/psalmists who ministered to the Lord daily in the
temple).
Jahaziel said, “Hearken, all Judah, you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and
you King Jehoshaphat. The Lord says this to you: Be not afraid or dismayed at
this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
Tomorrow go down to them. Behold, they will come up by the Ascent of
Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the ravine before the Wilderness of
Jeruel.
You shall not need to
fight in this battle; take your positions, stand still, and
see the deliverance of the Lord who is with you, O Judah and
Jerusalem. Fear not nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord
is with you.”
In Exodus 14:14 (in reference to a different battle), the Lord said to
His people: “The Lord will fight for you and you won’t have to lift a
finger!” (Living Bible)
The Message Bible words it this way:
“God will fight the
battle for you. And you, you keep your mouth shut!”
Psalms 46:10 says “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted in
the earth.”
God is saying that this battle is His, not yours. He will fight this
battle and you won’t have to lift a finger. God is saying to get out of His way
and let Him take over. He’s saying to watch what you say … to keep quiet … and
don’t interfere with what He’s doing.
When King Jehoshaphat had consulted with the people, he appointed
singers to sing to the Lord and praise Him in their holy [priestly] garments as
they went out before the army, saying, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy
and loving-kindness endure forever!”
That would sound like an odd battle plan to send out the singers and
musicians to march in the forefront of the army! All they wore were priestly
garments (no armor or natural weapons). The priests were not trained as
soldiers to do combat.
And when the priests began to sing and to praise the Lord, the Lord set
ambushments against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against
Judah, and they were self-slaughtered. For suspecting betrayal, the men of
Ammon and Moab rose against those of Mount Seir, utterly destroying them. And
when they had made an end of the men of Seir, they all helped to destroy one
another.
And when King Jehoshaphat’s army came to the watchtower of the
wilderness, they looked at the multitude of their enemies, and to their
astonishment, there were dead bodies everywhere that had fallen to the ground,
and none had escaped! The Moabites, Ammonites and Meunites had all turned on
each other, and every single one of them was slaughtered.
Not one priest, nor one man from Judah’s army, were harmed. When
Jehoshaphat and his people came to take the spoil, they found among them much
cattle, goods, garments, and precious things which they took for themselves,
more than they could carry away, so much that it took three days in gathering
the spoil.
Praise and worship is one of God’s mighty weapons in His arsenal. Psalms
149:6-9 says:
6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword
in their hand,
7 To execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples;
8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of
iron;
9 To execute on them the written judgment — this honor have all His
saints. Praise the Lord!
The two-edged sword is talking about the Word of God.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God
is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to
the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet
of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Praise and speaking God’s Word has the power to bind the enemy (devil)
with chains and fetters of iron. The power of praise causes confusion among the
enemy (demonic) camp so that the battle you are facing is won by God and you
are victorious.
In the account of the city of Jericho, God gave Joshua the battle plan
in Joshua 6:1-5:
1 “Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel;
none went out, and none came in.
2 And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your
hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.
3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all
around the city once. This you shall do six days.
4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the
Ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the
priests shall blow the trumpets.
5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's
horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall
shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And
the people shall go up every man straight before him.”
This sounds like another odd battle plan, but it worked just like God
said. After they marched around the city and blew the trumpets and ram horn,
and gave the shout, the walls came tumbling down.
They were told to march around the city with the priests carrying the
Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant was God’s Presence, His resting
place. If God’s Presence goes with you, then you are assured of victory.
Then there is the account of Paul and Silas in prison. Around midnight
they began to pray and sing praises to God, so that the other prisoners heard
them. Suddenly an earthquake took place, and their fetters fell off and the
prison door was opened. The prison guard got saved, he and his entire household
(Acts 16:25-31).
Judah shall plow (Hosea 10:11). Praise plows the fallow ground of our
heart. It makes it tender to receive the Word of God planted in it.
Hosea 10:12 says, “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy;
break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and
rain righteousness upon you.”
Hebrew words for praise, dance, etc.:
Praise Strong’s Concordance #3034 yadah = to use (i.e. hold out) the
hand; to revere or worship with extended hands.
Praise 1974 hilluwl = from halal 1984 (in the sense of rejoicing); a
celebration of thanksgiving for harvest.
Praise 1984 halal = to make a show; to boast; to celebrate.
Praise 8416 tehillah = (from 1984 halal); laudation; specifically a hymn
Praise 1288 barak = to kneel; to bless God as an act of adoration.
Praise 2167 zamar = striking with the fingers; to touch the strings or
part of a musical instrument; to play upon it, to make music, accompanied by
the voice; to celebrate in song and music.
Praise 8426 towdah = from 3034; an extension of the hand; lifting up
holy hands; adoration; a choir of worshippers.
Praise 7623 shabach = to address in a loud tone; shout to the Lord;
commend; glory; triumph
Praise 7624 shebach = corresponds to 7623; to adulate; adore
Clap 3709 kaph = the palm of the hand; the bowl of a dish; the leaves of
a palm tree; figuratively, power. Ps 47:1
Clap 4222 macha = to rub or strike the hands together in exultation Ps
98:8; Isa 55:12
Dance 2342 chuwl (khool); or chiyl (kheel) = a primitive root; properly,
to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), i.e. (specifically) to
dance.
Dance 7540 raqad (raw-kad'); a primitive root; properly, to stamp, i.e.
to spring about (wildly or for joy): KJV
- dance, jump, leap, skip.
Dance 4234 machowl (maw-khole'); from OT:2342; a (round) dance.
Dance 4246 mechowlah (mek-o-law'); feminine of OT:4284; a dance company.
Choreographed dance; to weave, to contrive, to plait.
Dance 3769 karar (kaw-rar'); a primitive root; to dance (i.e. whirl).
Dance 2287 chagag = To march in a sacred procession; to move in a
circle; to celebrate.
Greek words:
Dance Choros 5525 = A ring; a
round dance; a band of dancers and singers; a choir.
Dance Orcheomai 3738 = A row or ring; to dance (from the ranklike or
regular motion); to put into rapid motion.
Sing Aido 103 = to sing
Sing Psallo 5567 = to twitch or twang, i.e. to play on a stringed
instrument (celebrate the divine worship with music and accompanying odes).
Sing NT:5214 Humneo; from NT:5215; to hymn, i.e. sing a religious ode;
by implication, to celebrate (God) in song.
Psalm Psalmos 5568 = from 5567; a set piece of music, i.e. a sacred ode
(accompanied with the voice, harp or other instrument; a “psalm”);
collectively, the book of the Psalms.
Praise NT:133 ainesis; from NT:134; a praising (the act), i.e.
(specially) a thank (-offering).
Praise NT:134 aineo; from NT:136; to praise (God).
Praise NT:136 ainos; apparently a prime word; properly, a story, but
used in the sense of NT:1868; praise (of God).
Praise NT:1868 epainos; from NT:1909 and the base of NT:134; laudation;
concretely, a commendable thing.
Praise NT:1867 epaineo; from NT:1909 and NT:134; to applaud.
Praise, Worship, Honor, Glory NT:1391 doxa; from the base of NT:1380;
glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literal or figurative,
objective or subjective).
Magnify, Glory, Honor NT:1392 doxazo; from NT:1391; to render (or
esteem) glorious (in a wide application).
Notice that according to these definitions, in the New Testament (as in
the Old Testament), the singing of psalms and hymns was accompanied by musical
instruments. Also, dancing was involved in worship.
It is God's will that no one should perish (end up in hell), but that ALL should come to repentance.
For God so loved this world that He gave His only begotton Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
God did not send His Son into this world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him would be saved.
The thief (Satan the devil) comes only for to kill, steal and destroy. But Jesus has come to give us life, and life more abundantly, until it overflows.
I urge you to come to the Cross today and receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord. He will wash away all your sins and make you as clean and white as fresh snow.
Just pray this prayer and mean it with your heart:
Dear Lord Jesus (if you are not able to call him Lord yet, then just say "Jesus")
I receive You as my Savior and Lord. I give my life over to You. I believe that You died and rose again, and that if I call on the Name of the Lord I shall be saved.
I accept you into my heart right now, and confess that You are Lord and have risen from the dead and forever live to make intercession for me.
Thank You for washing my heart pure and clean and making me whole, and for giving me peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Thank You that now I am a new creature in Christ Jesus. The old has gone and the new has come.
And there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh (carnality and sin), but walk after the Spirit. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, I believe you got born again and are now heaven bound and will be with the Lord forever and have eternal life. Your sins are now forgiven. You are accepted in the Beloved.
I would encourage you to find a good Bible based local church to help you grow in your faith, to learn the Word of God, to praise and worship Him, and to have fellowship with the saints.
Serving Christ is the best decision you will ever make.
God bless you!!!
