THE PRAISE SERIES (PART 15) - PRAISE HIM IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD

Then a voice came from the throne, saying, 

"Praise our God, all you His servants 

and those who fear Him, both small and great!" 

- Revelation 19:5 -

It is important to know that the fear of God (honor and reverence) is entirely different from being afraid of God. The fear of God has three basic components:

* To Know Him

* To Worship Him 

* To Obey Him

 

The fear of man will keep you from the fear of God - the fear of God will keep you from the fear of man (Proverbs 29:25)

"Holy fear is the key to God's sure foundation, unlocking the treasuries of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge ... We cannot expect to be admitted into His presence with an attitude of disrespect ... A person who fears God trembles at His Word and in His presence ... To fear God is to believe God. To believe God is to obey Him ... Holy fear gives God the place of glory, honor, reverence, thanksgiving, praise, and preeminence He deserves ..."

(Extracts from : The Fear Of The Lord - John Bevere)

THE FEAR OF GOD

*Psalm 22:23 - Praise Him when you fear God

*Revelation 14:7 - Praise Him and fear Him for He is a just God
*Revelation 15:4 - Praise Him and fear Him all nations and all people
*Malachi 3:16 - Praise Him for He hears those who fear Him and writes their names in His book
*Psalm 145:19 - Praise Him for He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him
*Psalm 147:11 - Praise Him for He delights in those who fear Him
*Psalm 85:9 - Praise Him for His salvation is near those who fear Him
*Psalm 115:13 - Praise Him for He blesses those who fear Him
*Luke 1:50 - Praise Him for His mercy is for those who fear Him
*Psalm 33:18 - Praise Him for His eyes are on all those who fear Him
*Ecclesiastes 8:12 - Praise Him for all goes well for those who fear Him (Deuteronomy 5:29)
*Proverbs 22:4 - Praise Him for He grants riches, honor and life to those who fear Him 
*Deuteronomy 6:2 - Praise Him for He gives longer life to those who fear Him (Prov 10:27)
*Acts 13:26 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you hear of His salvation
*Psalm 128:1 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you are able to walk in His ways
*2 Corinthians 7:1 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you are able to perfect holiness
*Proverbs 14:26 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you gain confidence
*Proverbs 14:27 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you find a fountain of life
*Psalm 31:19 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you find His great goodness
*Psalm 25:14 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you discover His secrets
*Isaiah 33:6 - Praise Him you fear Him and you learn the key to His treasure
*Psalm 103:11, 17 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you receive His mercy (Luke 1:50)
*Psalm 103:13 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you receive His compassion
*Psalm 111:10 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you come into His wisdom (Prov 9:10)
*Psalm 34:7 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you know angels are stationed all around you
*Psalm 34:9 - Praise Him when you fear Him and you have no need
*2 Kings 17:39 - Praise Him when you fear Him and He delivers you from all your enemies
*Revelation 11:18 - Praise Him when you fear Him and He rewards you
*Acts 10:35 - Praise Him and fear Him all nations, then He will accept you
*Revelation 15:4 - Praise Him and fear Him all nations, for He alone is holy
*Ecclesiastes 12:13 - Praise Him and fear Him for this is the whole duty of every man
*Psalm 25:14 - Praise Him for His secrets are given to those who fear Him
*Proverbs 3:32 - Praise Him for His secrets are given to those who fear Him

An extract from - Praise Him by Viven Hibbert

Blessings - TPWC

The reverential fear of the Lord is the key to unlock God's wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). Reward of God's wisdom is for those who choose to submit to the Lord and obey His command - TWPC

THE PRAISE SERIES (PART 14) - PRAISE THE NAME OF JESUS

PRAISE THE NAME OF JESUS

 

Genesis 2: 4 - Praise Him our Lord God
Genesis 14: 18-20 - Praise Him our God Most High
Genesis 15:2 - Praise Him Our Master, Lord
Genesis 16:13 - Praise Him our God who Sees
Genesis 17:1-2 - Praise Him our Almighty, All Sufficient
Genesis 22:13-14 - Praise Him our Provider
Genesis 49:24 - Praise Him our Mighty One
Exodus 3:14 - Praise Him our Self-Existent One
Exodus 15:3 - Praise Him our Warrior
Exodus 15:22-26 - Praise Him our Healer and Restorer
Exodus 17:8-16 - Praise Him our Banner

Exodus 34:14 - Praise Him our Jealous God
Leviticus 20:8 - Praise Him our Sanctifier
Deuteronomy 4:24 - Praise Him our Consuming Fire
Deuteronomy 32:8 - Praise Him our Most High
Judges 6:4 - Praise Him our Peace
Ruth 3:9 to 4:14 - Praise Him our Kinsman - Redeemer
2 Samuel 22:2 - Praise Him our Rock
2 Samuel 22:29 - Praise Him our Keeper
Psalms 2:2 - Praise Him our Anointed One
Psalms 3:3 - Praise Him our Shield

Psalms 7:8 - Praise Him our Judge
Psalms 7:9 - Praise Him our Righteous One
Psalms 10:16 - Praise Him our King
Psalms 18:2 - Praise Him our Horn of Salvation

Psalms 22:19 - Praise Him our Strength
Psalms 23 - Praise Him our Shepherd
Psalms 27:1 - Praise Him our Light and Salvation
Psalms 29:3 - Praise Him our God of Glory
Psalms 32:7 - Praise Him our Hiding Place
Psalms 94:22 - Praise Him our Defender
Psalms 121:5 - Praise Him our Keeper
Proverbs 8 - Praise Him our Wisdom
Proverbs 18:10 - Praise Him our Strong Tower
Song of Songs - Praise Him our Bridegroom
Song of Songs 2:1 - Praise Him our Rose of Sharon

Song of Songs 2:1 - Praise Him our Lily of the Valley
Isaiah 1:24 - Praise Him our Lord of Hosts
Isaiah 7:14 - Praise Him our Immanuel (Matthew 1:23)
Isaiah 9:6 - Praise Him our Counsellor
Isaiah 9:6 - Praise Him our Everlasting Father
Isaiah 9:6 - Praise Him our Prince of Peace
Isaiah 25:4 - Praise Him our Refuge
Isaiah 43:3 - Praise Him our Saviour
Isaiah 44:6 - Praise Him our First and Last
Isaiah 51:15 - Praise Him our Lord of Hosts
Isaiah 53:3 - Praise Him our Man of Sorrows
Isaiah 59:20 - Praise Him our Redeemer
Isaiah 64:8 - Praise Him our Potter
Jeremiah 23:5-6 - Praise Him our Righteousness
Lamentations 3:22-23 - Praise Him our Faithful One
Ezekiel 48:35 - Praise Him our God Who is There
Hosea 2:16, 19-20 - Praise Him our Husband
Micah 5:2 - Praise Him our Ruler
Haggai 2:7 - Praise Him our Desire of Nations
Zechariah 6:12 - Praise Him our Branch

Malachi 3:3 - Praise Him our Refiner
Malachi 4:2 - Praise Him our Sun of Righteousness
Matthew 8:20 Praise Him our Son of Man
Matthew 9:27 - Praise Him our Son of David
Luke 1:31 - Praise Him our Jesus
Luke 1:78 - Praise Him our Dayspring
Luke 4:23 - Praise Him our Physician
John 1:1 - Praise Him our Word
John 1:29, 36 - Praise Him our Lamb of God

John 1:32 - Praise Him our Dove
John 1:38 - Praise Him our Rabbi
John 1:41 - Praise Him our Messiah
John 6:14 - Praise Him our Prophet
John 7:37-39 - Praise Him our Water
John 10:7-9 - Praise Him our Door
John 14:17 - Praise Him our Spirit of Truth
John 14:26 - Praise Him our Comforter (2 Corinthians 1:3)
Acts 2:1-2 - Praise Him our Wind
Romans 8:15 - Praise Him our Abba
Romans 15:12 - Praise Him our Root of Jesse
1 Corinthians 15:45 - Praise Him our Last Adam
Ephesians 1:22 - Praise Him our Head
Ephesians 2:20 - Praise Him our Cornerstone
1 Timothy 2:5 - Praise Him our Mediator

1 Timothy 6:15 - Praise Him our Potentate
Hebrews 4:14 - Praise Him our Great High Priest
Hebrews 12:2 - Praise Him our Author and Finisher of Faith
Hebrews 12:29 - Praise Him our Fire
1 Peter 2:25 - Praise Him our Bishop of our Souls
1 Peter 5:10 - Praise Him our God of all Grace
2 Peter 1:19 - Praise Him our Daystar
1 John 2:1 - Praise Him our Advocate
3 John 1:4, 8 - Praise Him our Truth
Revelation 1:8 - Praise Him our Alpha and Omega
Revelation 1:17 - Praise Him our First and Last

Revelation 3:14 - Praise Him our Faithful and True Witness
Revelation 3:14 - Praise Him our Beginning
Revelation 5: 5 - Praise Him our Lion of Judah
Revelation 7:2 - Praise Him our Living God
Revelation 15:3 - Praise Him our King of saints
Revelation 19:3 - Praise Him our Word of God
Revelation 19: 11 - Praise Him our Faithful and True
Revelation 19:13 - Praise Him our word
Revelation 19:16 - Praise Him our King of kings
Revelation 19:16 - Praise Him our Lord of lords
Revelation 22:16 - Praise Him our Morning Star

(An extract from: Praise Him by Vivien Hebbert)

THE PRAISE SERIES ( PART 13) - PRAISE QUOTABLE

"Praise is the greatest work God's children can ever do. It is the loftiest expression the Saints can ever show. The highest manifestation of spiritual life is seen in men praising God." Watchman Nee - Assembling Together

"Praise is not something we experience occasionally, but is a garment which will be worn constantly by the last-day church (Isaiah 61:1-3). The garment of praise is the perfect answer for the depressions which are common to this generation." E. Charlotte Baker - On Eagles Wings

"The sacrifice of praise is the choice of every believer. You cannot be a successful worshipper without recognising the importance of your will in offering a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving." Terry Law - The Power of Praise and Worship

"Praise is a door to God's presence." Warren and Ruth Myers - Praise is a Door

"To praise the Lord for something He has done for us is easy, to praise God after we have been emotionally stirred toward Him is not difficult, but to praise the Lord as a sacrifice is a different matter. The way we feel from day to day fluctuates and changes, but God's Word is unchanging. We do not rely upon feelings to be in an attitude of praise but rather we recognise that His unchanging Word and His constant characteristics demand a people with a constant and unchanging attitude to His Word and commandment. We are therefore enjoined to offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips (not our feelings), giving thanks to His name." B. Maureen Gaglardi - The Key of David

"Praise releases the power of God into our lives and circumstances, because praise is faith in action. Praise is a permanent acceptance of what God has brought into our lives. We enter this attitude of praise by an act of our will, by a decision to praise God regardless of how we feel." Merlin R. Carothers - Power in Praise

Until the practice of praise in private is continuous and free, the practice of corporate praise will be inhibited by fear, self-consciousness and discomfort. The practice in the corporate sense is absolutely indispensable to the maximum worship experience." Jack R. Taylor - The Hallelujah Factor

"Praise is not a mass function, it is the response of an individual to His God. When a group of individual choose to unite in praising, their individual praises may blend into a group response, but every expression of the praise comes from a separate individual." Judson Cornwall - Let Us Praise

"Warfare through praise does not dictate to God what He should do ... it praises Him for His wisdom and might, recognising that He is capable of setting the problem in the best possible manner. We do not focus on the battle or the enemy; we look only to the solution - God!" - "But the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits." (Daniel 11:32) Bob Sorge - Exploring Worship

"Praise is born in faith, is an instrument of war and a method of creating an atmosphere for the presence of the Lord. Praise requires effort, will power and boldness." - TPWC

THE PRAISE SERIES (PART 12) - HALLELUJAH - PRAISE YE HE LORD!

Let Everything That Has Breath 

Praise The Lord.
Psalm 150 : 6

Let us offer our thanksgiving, praise and worship by declaring Psalm 150 - PRAISE THE LORD! The word"PRAISE" is used thirteen times in this psalm, and ten of those times, we are commanded to "PRAISE HIM"The word "HALLELU YAH" - Hallelujah - means "Praise The Lord!" Jehovah (or Yah, for Yahweh) is the covenant name of the Lord. It reminds us that He loves us and has covenanted to save us, keep us, care for us, and eventually glorify us, because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, His Son, on the cross. The new covenant was not sealed by the blood of animal sacrifices but by the precious blood of Christ.
Jehovah God is the "power name" of God - El Elohim, and this reminds us that whatever He promises, He is able to perform. Worship is not about the worshiper and his or her needs; it is about God and His glory, honor and power. Certainly we bring our burdens and needs with us into the sanctuary (1 Peter 5:7), but we focus our attention on the Lord. 

"You Are Worthy, O Lord,

To receive Glory And Honor And Power;
For You Created All Things,
And By Your Will They Exist And Were Created."
Revelation 4:11

All true praise and worship must begin and remain centered on God and His absolute worthiness to receive all glory, honor and power. There are no techniques for worship, here; no instructions for the praise band - just a number of doorways for you to open to the vast realms of praise await us all.

"Great Is The Lord And Most Worthy Of Praise."

1 Chronicles 16:25.

God is not just worthy of praise, He is MOST WORTHY of praise. In other words, whatever praise we can give Him, He deserves it. We cannot overestimate His worth because He is worth more than anything.

Right now would you join me with your voices, or songs, or instruments, or dances to PRAISE THE LORD by declaring Psalm 150?

Praise God in his sanctuary;
Praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
Praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
Praise him with the harp and lyre,
Ppraise him with tambourine and dancing,
Praise him with the strings and flute, 
Praise him with the clash of cymbals,
Praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath Praise the Lord.
PRAISE THE LORD.

THE PRAISE SERIES (PART 11): PRAISING GOD IN THE STORM

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise Him,

my Savior and my God.

Psalm 42:5, 11 & Psalm 43:5 (NIV)

What is one to do when you are faced with the storms (testings, tribulations, trials) of life? Or when you are walking through the valley of the shadow of death(Psalm 23:4)? The answer of the psalmist sounds as strange as the question: Preach to your soul! Take yourself in the hand, look yourself in the eyes, and preach this message: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? HOPE in God, for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God” (Psalm 42:5,11; 43:5). 

What possible HOPE is there? The psalmist, though in lament, is not in despair. He turns his mind from the disease to the cure, from anguish to remembrance, deliberately recalling to mind God’s grace and faithfulness and covenant vow. He forces himself to think of realities other than his own troubles. It is here that we come to the second element in these two psalms:
Psalm 42 : 1- 4 : the psalmist’s spiritual hunger leads to joyful memories of past worship
Psalm 42 : 6 -9 : which leads to remembrance of the Lord and realizes that God is still in control, still present in steadfast love and still trustworthy!
Psalm 43 : 1 – 4 : the psalmist turns the questions into prayers, seeking God’s vindication and guidance and thereby replaces his darkness and fear into “the joy of the Lord”.

With this “HOPE” the psalmist can say : “ I SHALL YET PRAISE HIM”!
To be able to Praise God In The Storm, there are 2 key elements that a worshiper must do:


a) HOPE in God - To have HOPE you need the element of FAITH. Hebrews 11:1 says "now FAITH is being sure of what we HOPE for .... and you can confidently do so if your FAITH is rooted in His WORD because FAITH comes by hearing and hearing by His WORD (Romans 10:17). And your focus is in the Lord Who is Your Fortress, Your Hiding Place, Your Refuge .... the Author and Perfector of Your FAITH! (Hebrews 12:2)

b) You make a CHOICE to praise Him - We can read of many instances in the book of Psalm where the psalmists tell his soul to bless the Lord in the midst of their "storms":
* Psalm 7:17 - I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness andwill sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High!
* Psalm 9:1 & 2 - I will praise You, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High
* Psalm 16:7 - I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel;My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
* Psalm 18:49 - Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O lord; I will sing praises to Your name. 
* Psalm 30:1 -I will exalt You, O Lord, for You lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
* Psalm 31:7 - I will be glad and rejoice in Your love, for You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.
* Psalm 34:1 - I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.
* Psalm 52:9 - I will praise You forever for what you have done; in Your name Iwill hope, for your name is good, I will praise You in the presence of Your saints.
*Psalm 54:6 - I will sacrifice a freewill offering to You; I will praise Your name, O Lord for it is good,
*Psalm 59:16 - But I will sing of Your strength in the morning I will sing of Your love; for You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.


I can show you more ... but some of my favorites are found in Psalm 103: 1-2 and Psalm 104:1. Here we find king David literally telling his soul - "PRAISE THE LORD, O MY SOUL ...!"
‘Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.’ (Psalm 42:5) When we are ‘down’, we need to address and rebuke our soul (mind, emotions and will). We must command ourselves to put our hope (certain assurance that whatever happens, God is in control) and, despite the difficult situation, still praise Him who is our Saviour and our God. Psalm 42 : 5, 11; 43:5 (NIV)

Today are you in the midst of a storm? Is your soul cast down? Like to share with you this powerful song "Praise You In The Storm - by Casting Crowns". May you take comfort from Psalm 121:1 - " I lift my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

THE PRAISE SERIES (PART 10) - RESURRECTION PRAISE: THE ENEMY HAS BEEN DEFEATED

If Christ Has Not Been Raised,
Your Faith Is Futile,
You Are Still In Your Sins
1 Corinthians 15:17 (NIV)

The resurrection validates everything we believe in - this includes all our praise and worship to our Lord and King. Without it, the Bible is bold enough to say, our faith is worthless. The resurrection also validates our faith in the redeeming work of our High Priest, Who has taken away our sins. It allows us to live with a sense of risk and adventure, because it makes us part of a new order of creation that ultimately cannot fail - our lives are grounded in Someone who reigns in eternal victory - Chris Tiegreen

NO RESURRECTION, NO CHRISTIANITY! 

 Michael Ramsey

For Paul, this transformation was more than just another event in salvation history. The resurrection of dead and the transformation of believers to immortality meant:

1) The Final Defeat Of Death

"And when this perishable puts on the imperishable and this that was capable of dying puts on freedom from death, then shall be fulfilled the Scripture that says, Death is swallowed up (utterly vanquished forever) in and unto victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? Now sin is the sting of death, and sin exercises its power [upon the soul] through [the abuse of] the Law" - 1 Corinthians 15:54-56 (Amplified)

THE ENEMY HAS BEEN DEFEATED!

Lyric :
The Enemy Has Been Defeated
Death Couldn't Hold You DownWe Gonna Lift Our Voice In Victory             

We Gonna Make Your Praises Loud

Shout Unto God With A Voice Of Triumph
Shout Unto God With A Voice Of Praise
Shout Unto God With A Voice Of Triumph
We Lift You Name Up, We Lift Your Name Up

2) A Hymn Of Thanks!
This leads Paul to a moment of praise. For Paul it is very important to remind us that we must give thanks for the greatest gift that could be given: complete victory over death

"But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57 (Amplified)
3) Final Encouragement

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose]" 1 Corinthians 15:58 (Amplified).
It is important for Paul that Christians respond to what the have learned through their everyday actions. The experience of the Corinthians had been anything but firm, unmovable and abounding in the work of the Lord
Some, like a lot of Christians today, accepted the resurrection as a future reality but not as a present dynamic. They forgot what Paul emphasizes in Ephesians 1:19-20 - that the very power that raised Jesus from the dead is the power that is working in those who believe. We can live with that blessing not only in the future physical resurrection but also in the present spiritual one.

Have a blessed and victorious week!

TPWC

THE PRAISE SERIES (PART 9) - THE WEAPON OF OUR WARFARE (B)

"Your hand will find all Your enemies;

 Your right hand will find those who hate You.

 Be exalted, O LORD, in Your own strength! 

We will sing and praise Your power".

Psalm 21:8, 13

The Old Testament makes a distinction between taking revenge ourselves and leaving our enemies to God. Strength and power lie in Him, not in us, as Psalm 21 confesses. 

Apart from many good reasons for glorifying and worshiping God, the role of praise in dealing with our enemies is also strange to many people. The Psalmist also praise God in the midst of facing adversity at the hand of an enemy. Do you wonder how such conflict and praise meet?

We continue with the story of King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. Remember, Jehoshaphat and the kingdom of Judah are teetering on the brink of destruction- they are about to be attacked by horde far outnumbering them. You might compare their plight to a situation of your own in which everything seems to go wrong, or when the force of Satan's opposition threaten to overpower you. King Jehoshaphat's experience offers a way to do battle in such situations. He begins by simply confessing, "We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us" (2 Chronicles 20:12). 

This confession of weakness doesn't mean that Judah is passive and does nothing - nor should we. A prophet of Judah delivers a word from the Lord. God tells them that the battle is His, not theirs. For their response, the people "(stand) up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high:" (2 Chronicles 20:19). Then instead of hurling spears or boulders, the army marches out boldly hurling phrases of praises, singing, "Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever" (2 Chronicles 20:21). The result? The Lord Himself sets ambushes for the enemy, causing confusion and fighting to break out among their ranks.

So what attack should believers mount against Satan and his hordes? We are to take up the weapons we wield best - the weapons of praise. As the apostle Paul teaches us, "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:4).

Faced with the forces of evil, God's people are not to fear. Our greatest resource for resistance doesn't arise from any arsenal known to human wisdom or device. It comes from knowing that the battle is the Lord's. We are never to react from a position of weakness, but from one of strength. That strength is found in faithfully remaining at our post of praise. Our best defense is to do what we should know how to do best: offer praise and glory to the Living God, whose enemies, ultimately, will always flee before His might and power

Quite sure most of you would know this powerful song - Desert Song by Brooke Fraser from Hillsong (see below Youtube). With the knowledge of our weapon of warfare we can now sing and praise Him in the desert, in the fire & in the battle ... PRAISE THE LORD!

THE PRAISE SERIES (PART 8) - THE WEAPON OF OUR WARFARE (A)

Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.

Psalm 149:5 -6

Psalm 149 speaks of "the high praises of God" in the same breath as "a two-edged sword." Of course , we are dealing here not with weapons of carnal warfare, but with putting our words into action by boldly going on the offensive of faith - by acting on the promises of the God we praise.

Let us turn to the dramatic scene in 2 Chronicles 20. King Jehoshaphat, undermanned and relatively powerless, has been brought word that "a great multitude is coming aganst you" (20:2). This text gives direction on what can be done in such moments; something besides reigning to a passive prayer for strength. There are four action steps - four ways to take up the sword of praise.

1) The king proclaimed a FAST (2 Chronicles 20:3). Is fasting foreign to your experience? Don't let it be. Fasting is an aggressive way to affirmed the promised power of the spirit over the flesh. It is an explicit way to reinforce the priority of prayer and to seek God throughout each day. When facing crucial battles such as the one that confrnted Jehoshaphat, be ready to deny the flesh as a sign that your trust is not in human energy but in the power of the Spirit.

2) The king and the people PRAYED (2 Chronicles 20:6). And while their prayer confessed that "we have no power" (2 Chronicles 20:12), it wasn't a "poor me" prayer! In stead of whinning, their prayer roared, ascribing to God power and authority over the enemy. Such a prayer of petition is admittedly prayed out of deep need, but it nonetheless boldly affirms God's power within His will.

3) There was also a REMEMBRANCE OF GOD'S WORK in history (2 Chronicles 20:7). With praise they remembered the story of God's people - the Exodus from Egypt, God's care in the wilderness, the conquest of Canaan. Remembering is a mighty source of confidence that God is able and will again deliver and save. Reviewing testimonies at the Lord's Table is a great way for us to remember His tender mercies and enduring love.

4) There was a PROPHETIC UTTERANCE (2 Chronicles 20:14-17). We must be open to the Holy Spirit's prophetic word among us as a people. He's still assuring us, "The battle is not yours, but God's! (2 Chronicles 20:15) and He will faithfully unfold God's will for us to our own immediate situations.

Ultimately threatening situations call for an uncommonly strong response: taking up a two-edged sword in a spiritual sense - aggressively trusting God,forcefully throwing ourselves at His feet in worship, and boldly brandishing the spiritual weapons Jehoshaphat used. They still work to put doubt and fear andanxiety to flight.

PRAISE is not passive. It can be our boldest stand against the threats of the enemy.

Blessings - TPWC