Worship and Warfare: The Power of Praise
Tuesday, January 25, 2022
Living Free Every Day®
A ministry of LivingFree.org
Today's Scripture
"Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory."
2 Chronicles 20:17 NLT. Recommended reading: 2 Chronicles 20:1-29
Thoughts for Today
We are in a war. Satan is our enemy . . . along with the doubt, fear, condemnation, and discouragement he tries to inflict on us. One of the most effective ways to defeat our enemy is praise. The biblical account of King Johoshaphat offers a prime example of the power of praise. It clearly demonstrates that praise can make the enemy ineffective and neutralize his power.
In 2 Chronicles 20, we read that King Jehoshaphat knew he was outnumbered by a massive army. He made some important choices. He chose to stand with his eyes on God. He recognized his powerlessness aside from God.
The Lord spoke these important words to King Jehoshaphat: "Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
2 Chronicles 20:15 NLT
Trusting in God, King Jehoshaphat used an unconventional weapon against the enemy: praise.
After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: “Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!” At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. So, when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not even one of the enemy had escaped." 2 Chronicles 20:21-24 NLT
Consider this …
King Jehoshaphat chose to trust God, not his own wisdom or military might. He demonstrated his faith by praising God. And God won the battle.
When we are fighting a spiritual battle, we need to make those same choices. We need to put our faith in God--not ourselves or anything else. We need to trust him to fight the battle as we praise him for his power and his love.
Prayer
Father, so often I try to win life's battles by myself. Sometimes I try everything I know before coming to you. Please forgive me. Thank you for this reminder that you want to fight the battle for me. Help me focus on you and your power and love. Help me show my faith through praise. In Jesus' name . . .
These thoughts were drawn from … A Passionate Pursuit of God: Drawing Nearer to Him by Dr. Mike Chapman. This study teaches participants how to move into God's inner circle, how to listen for the voice of God, how to enjoy the freedom of worship, and how to embrace the mission of worship. This 45-minute format will accommodate groups with limited meeting times. Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups, and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.
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