Introduction
Last week, I shared a prophetic word given to Chuck Pierce, which instructed us to offer praise to God three times a day for a week. The word said this would release God’s judgments against lies that have held America captive. You can read Chuck’s prophetic word here. The seven days ended yesterday, but many of us who heard about and started the weeklong process after it began are continuing for a few more days, simply to honor the Lord and “contribute” our week of praise.
Following up on Chuck’s word, I wrote two posts last week on the power of praise, and more importantly, why it is so powerful. I will continue this theme through Wednesday. The title of today’s post is:
Earth-Shaking Praise In today’s post, I would like to highlight two biblical accounts that illustrate the power of praise. The first is from 2 Chronicles, chapter 20. In this passage, Judah was about to be invaded by a great multitude of Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites (vs. 1-2). Judah’s king, Jehoshaphat, called for prayer. “We don’t know what to do,” he said to the Lord, “but our eyes are on You” (v. 12).
The Lord’s response to Jehoshaphat and Judah was that this battle was not theirs, but His; they would not even need to fight. Just put their trust in Him and His prophets, and they would succeed (verses 14-20). When it came time for the battle, Judah was told to simply offer praise to the Lord (v. 21). They obeyed, sending a choir ahead of their army. The choir sang, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His lovingkindness is everlasting” (v. 21).
The praise brought the presence of the Lord, and as we saw when Jesus walked the earth, God’s presence has a very unsettling effect on demonic forces. When Yeshua showed up, demons screamed and cried out for mercy. Here in 2 Chronicles, God’s enemies became so disoriented and confused that they began to fight and kill one another (v. 22-23)! The passage says God “ambushed” them. The Hebrew word used means “to lurk, or lie in wait.” I love it! God was “lurking” in the atmosphere waiting for Judah’s praise to usher Him onto the battlefield. And just to make sure we make this connection, the Lord began verse 22 with the words, “And when they began singing and praising.”
I am confident that as we have been praising and worshiping over these past few days, God has been setting ambushes against those who oppose Him in Washington, D.C. He was “lurking” in the heavenly realm over our nation’s capital, just waiting for our praise to invite Him in. Praise attracts God’s presence, and His presence routs the enemy.
Paul and Silas Acts 16 gives us another powerful illustration of this. It’s the fairly well-known story of Paul and Silas praising God in their prison cell, which resulted in an earthquake that caused their deliverance. When recounted, the emphasis is almost always on their miraculous deliverance. However, the chapter and account are about SO MUCH MORE than just their deliverance.
It begins with Paul and his missionary team traveling and preaching the gospel in different regions. When they started to go in several different directions to different cities, Holy Spirit repeatedly stopped them. He finally gave Paul a dream or night vision: “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us” (verse 9).
The team obeyed, going to Philippi, and a remarkable series of events transpired. They led an influential businesswoman named Lydia to the Lord. They then cast out a spirit of divination from a slave-girl who brought great profit to her masters through her fortune-telling. Her masters were angry and had Paul and Silas beaten, thrown in jail, and put in stocks. At midnight, these two battered and bloody warriors began singing hymns of praise to God. The Lord heard their praise, and always enjoying the company of His kids, rushed to Philippi and into this jail cell. In His haste, it seems the Lord landed a little too hard! The earth shook, the chains broke loose, and all the prisoners were freed! Rather than fleeing, however, they decided to lead the jailer and his family to Christ and baptize them. It would seem that revival broke out in Philippi, and the Philippian church became one of the Lord’s key strongholds in the region.
As I mentioned earlier, it is clear that this passage is about so much more than these apostles’ great deliverance. God had a bigger plan. Lydia was the first convert in Europe, and Philippi was the first church established on the European continent. Let that sink in: the gospel was invading a new continent! These events became earth-shaking, quite literally.
And it was all born of praise. Not just the praise that occurred in the jail cell, by the way. Lydia, we are told, was “a worshiper of God” (v. 14). Even though she had not yet heard the gospel regarding the Messiah and therefore had not yet been born again, she was a devout Jewish worshiper of Yahweh. Perhaps it was her worship that created the vision inviting Paul to Macedonia! One thing is certain: praise and worship played a significant role in the gospel’s breakthrough into Europe.
Last week, when God told us to praise Him, and that this would create breakthrough in Washington, D.C., there is ample biblical evidence of the word’s validity, as you can see. Keep it up. Praise Him, and as you do, ask Him to invade our nation’s capital, ambush His enemies, and shake it with His mighty power.
When Chuck sent me this word last week, he included Jeremiah 49:16, saying the verse indicated God’s intentions against His enemies in D.C. Chuck actually sent it to me from two translations:
“‘Your fierceness has deceived you, the pride of your heart, O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, who hold the height of the hill! Though you make your nest as high as the eagle, I will bring you down from there,’ says the LORD.” (NKJV)
“‘Your capacity to terrorize has deceived you and made you arrogant. You make your home in the rocky crags and seize the top of the mountain; but even if you build your nest high as an eagle’s, from there I will drag you down,’ says ADONAI.” (AMP)
And, so be it!
Pray with me:
As our prayer and decree today, let’s use praise from the great hymn written by Martin Luthur, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.
“A mighty Fortress is our God, a Bulwark never failing.
Our Helper He amid the flood, of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe, doth seek to work us woe.
His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate.
On earth is not His equal.
“Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing.
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He!
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same.
And He must win the battle.
“And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us. We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him.
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure.
One little word shall fell him.
“That word above all earthly powers, No thanks to them, abideth.
The Spirit and the gifts are ours, through Him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also.
The body they may kill, God’s truth abideth still.
His Kingdom is forever!”(1)
Click on the link below to watch the full video.