The Power Of Praise Truly Is Our Weapon Against Our Spiritual Enemy
Power of Praise
The Bible teaches us about the power of praise and I have experienced it firsthand in my own life. Today, we are looking at an Old Testament story from 2 Chronicles 20:1-24 about the power of praise.
We need to remember to take the Old Testament and relate it to our lives from a spiritual standpoint. In other words, what was a physical reality for the people of the Old Testament, we can apply their physical realities to our life spiritually. In this particular story we see that Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, and the people of Judah (God’s people) had a real physical enemy coming against them and surrounding them. We too have a real spiritual enemy that comes against us and sometimes in life, we realize that our enemy surrounds us.
The Bible tells us that Jehoshaphat feared the battle, yet he focused on God. The reality is, when the enemy comes against us, our natural inclination is fear. However, what we do with that fear hugely impacts our outcome. Following the example Jehoshaphat set for us sets us up for a victory. While he feared the enemy coming against him and his people, he set his focus in another direction.
I love 2 Chronicles 20:12. This verse reminds us of what we need to do when we realize our spiritual enemy has himself and his minions to attack us in some area of our lives.
”O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."
2 Chronicles 20:12
Our Focus is Key
Yes, Jehoshaphat experienced fear when he heard the enemy set out to attack, but he turned his focus to God rather than staying focused on the battle ahead. Focus is key when the battle comes because our natural tendency is to focus on the enemy and how he is working. We need to intentionally determine and demand our focus remain on the Lord.
Several years ago I faced a battle for one of my daughters. Every outward appearance was that she was surrounded with the darkness of the devil systematically destroying her. When I looked at the situation, I saw sure defeat. Every morning, I opened my eyes with the fear that this might be the day I received THAT CALL – that she was gone.
My daughter was in a fight for her life. The enemy surrounded her and she had no ability to fight. But I did. So I fought, day and night on my knees and sometimes on my face.
At times fear threatened to overtake me. When I focused on the situation, hopelessness & defeat ruled my mind. When I focused on the Lord, truth, hope, & victory overcame my fears & my faith was strengthened.
Notice the plural personal pronouns, WE, US, and OUR in 2 Chronicles 20:12.
”For WE have no power against this great multitude that is coming against US;
nor do WE know what to do, but OUR eyes are upon You."
2 Chronicles 20:12
Power of Prayer Support
Jehoshaphat prayed and called on others to pray.
His battle reminds us how much we need the community of church. When faced with a battle in our personal lives, we need other sisters in Christ who will come along beside us, partner with us, and agree with us in prayer.
When the enemy came for my daughter, I knew I needed other people who would pray and believe God with me to do what only God could do. I needed the prayer support of other trustworthy, faith-filled people. The people I called on to pray were people who knew God’s Word. They were prayer warriors. They were filled with faith.
When I look back on this time, I also realize that I needed that community during that battle for my own strength through that battle. Hebrews 10:24-25 reminds us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together because through our faith community we gain encouragement, love, and support. That kind of provision through a body of believers means everything when the battle ground lands in your own backyard.
When they got in God’s presence, God gave them their battle instructions and the enemy’s plan. God told them exactly what to do, where to find their enemy, and He told them:
“You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and
see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you.”
2 Chronicles 20:17
Getting in God’s presence is so important because different battles at different times require different things. If we look back across Israel’s history, in some battles God required them to physically fight. And some battles, like this one, God’s instruction was more of a positioning of themselves in complete trust and faith.
Positioned And Praising
When my daughter was in the worst of it, the most desperate destitute situation I could imagine, I prayed like Jehoshaphat, “Lord, I have no clue of what to do.” My position was one of total trust in God. I had to relinquish all personal or maternal control to God.
In 2 Chronicles 20:20, Jehoshaphat declared to his people to
Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established;
believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.
2 Chronicles 20:20
Prayer, God’s Word, and believing God were my only part in the battle until one day when God reminded me of Jehoshaphat’s victory. I remembered that Jehoshaphat and his army were nowhere around when they won the battle. They literally won their victory through praise.
The people of God received their battle instructions from the Lord. They went to meet their enemy on the battle field as God directed them, but Jehoshaphat set worshippers, singing and praising God out before his army. (2 Chronicles 20:21) Praise led the way. Psalm 22:3 tells us that God is enthroned in the praises of His people. So spiritually speaking, God on His throne went before the army of His people as they sang praises and worshiped Him.
Take a moment to picture this scene and see the power of praise on the battle field for the people of Judah seen in 2 Chronicles 20:22.
”Now when they began to sing and to praise,
the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir,
who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.”
2 Chronicles 20:22
The power of praise is seen in their victory. When they praised, God worked on their behalf and defeated their enemy.
Praise and Victory
I knew this story and have long believed in the power of praise. When God reminded me of this story, I began to worship and praise God differently. I literally began to battle for my daughter through the power of praise. I set my praise out in front. Every worship song became a praise of faith to God and for what He was doing in my daughter’s life.
If I could insert her name in a worship song, I did. I sang by faith the praises of God, my beautiful daughter Savior and Deliverer. I positioned myself, stood still, and watched the salvation of the Lord come to pass in her life.
I love what God did in the battle for Judah. God showed up mighty and strong for them as they praised Him in route to their battle. Second Chronicles 20:24 tells us when the army made it to the place where God told them they would find their enemy, not a single one of their enemies lived.
”So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude;
and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth.
NO ONE HAD ESCAPED.”
2 Chronicles 20:24
I will tell you that God has done great things for me as well. He battled for my daughter through my praises. He saved her from the enemy’s grip and gave us a beautiful relationship we had never had before.
Dear Sister in Christ, your battle is never hopeless with God!
Fight with your prayer.
Fight with the Holy Spirit’s sword.
Fight with your worship and your praise.
Because - The power of praise in and through God’s people is real and effective!
Watch this amazing story of a little boy’s healing that came through the power of praise.
Now take a moment to watch this praise song video and praise God for His victory in your own battles: Raise A Hallelujah
