Praise and worship are a normal expression of our faith in God. If we truly believe the promises of God’s Word, then we will be joyful people, full of praise to God. Joshua and the people of Israel had to shout first; then the walls fell. The Bible admonishes us to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil. 4:4) and “in everything give thanks” (1 Thes. 5:18a).
One of the most outstanding examples of the power of praise is found in 2 Chronicles 20 when the nation of Judah was being invaded by the armies of Moab and Ammon. In response to King Jehoshaphat’s prayer, God instructed Israel:
Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them….You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem (2 Chron. 20:15b-17).
The narrative continues:
And they rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the Lord your God, and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed.” And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the Lord and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, ” Give thanks to the Lord, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. ” And when they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed. For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mt. Seir destroying them completely, and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. When Judah came to the look-out of the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped. And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found much among them, including goods, garments, and valuable things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. And they were three days taking the spoil because there was so much” (2 Chron. 20: 20-25, emphasis added).
Faith-filled praise brings protection and provision!
For further study on the subject of the power of praise, see Phil. 4:6-7 (praise brings peace), 2 Chron. 5:1-14 (praise brings God’s presence), Acts 13:1-2 (praise brings God’s purposes and plans to light), and Acts 16:22-26 (praise brings God’s preservation and prison release).
