Words from the Lord:
"You have a weapon called 'Praise'! This is a key time to praise! Praise the Lord! Praise your way to your breakthrough and victory! Praise the Lord even when you are spiritually, emotionally, or mentally drained! Praise the Lord at all times! As you praise, watch how the forces of darkness is broken, and watch how many things begin to move forward in your life! Never underestimate the power of praise!"
Indeed, there is this weapon given to you! A powerful weapon! Never underestimate it! God has given you this weapon called 'Praise'! So, praise the Lord! In good times! In not-so-good times! Praise the Lord at all times! Praise the Lord for who He is! Praise the Lord for He is great, and greatly to be praised! In fact, you can praise your way to your breakthrough and victory. Hallelujah!
If you are in trouble, any form of trouble, praise the Lord! If you are in a dilemma in your life, praise the Lord! If you are worried or anxious about something, or even regarding your future, praise the Lord! When you feel down or discouraged, praise the Lord! And when you are drained spiritually, emotionally, or mentally, praise the Lord! Simply put, praise the Lord in good times and even in not-so-good times!
In today's message, I'm going to show you the power of praising the Lord. Yes, praising the Lord is not just in songs, but it can be in your declaration by faith as you speak it out into the spiritual atmosphere around you - that He is great, He is your victory, and of course, He is merciful!
I begin with Psalm 9:1-3. This is a psalm by David, a man after God's heart. Let's see what he has declared: "I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. When my enemies turn back, they shall fall and perish at Your presence."
The word 'praise' here in this psalm is 'yawdaw' in Hebrew.
It can be defined in any of these three ways:
- to shoot out (or pour out) with shout of praise
- to revere and declare with lifted hands
- to give thanks to the Lord for His greatness and mercy
Therefore, praise Him for His greatness! Praise Him for His victory! Praise Him for He is in control and He is sovereign! Praise Him because He is the Creator of heavens and earth, and all of the universe and the galaxy!
You know what? When you begin to praise the Lord, when you use your mouth and declare it and speak it out, even shout it out aloud, something happens in the spiritual realm and something changes in the spiritual realm! The Scripture is consistent in this, that breakthrough comes as you praise!
Of course not just that, it is good even for yourself, because as you praise the Lord, your focus is shifted away from yourself or your own problems, and your focus is shifted to the Lord and how great He is! In other words, you are lifting yourself out from your doldrums, and you are lifting yourself out from all your discouragement, anxieties, and worries!
As you praise the Lord, know that there are also so many things that you can give thanks for, and that you can be grateful for! Don't focus on the negatives all the time. Instead, focus on the good that the Lord has done in your life! It's so important to be living a life of thanksgiving and to be grateful for what He has given to you! When you are thankful of even the little things that the Lord has given in your life, more is going to come! Hallelujah!
So, I want to declare upon you that whatever work of darkness or word of darkness that comes from the enemy against you, yes, as you praise the Lord, and as you magnify the Lord, all these works of darkness or words of darkness will have to flee. Amen!
In Psalm 106:1-5, the psalmist wrote: "Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can declare all His praise?... Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You have toward Your people. Oh, visit me with Your salvation; that I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance."
It means whatever trouble or situation you may be facing at the moment, the Lord can rescue you, the Lord can save you, and the Lord can come to your aid! Not only that! The Lord can set you free! The Lord can open a way for you! The Lord can lead you to your victory and breakthrough!
So beloved of God, rejoice and be glad because of all that we've read today, and begin to walk in the inheritance that the Lord has meant for you! And be rest assured that no matter what situation you may be facing at the moment, even the not-so-good ones, the Lord your God will know how to turn things around for you and work it out for your good. Amen! Somebody shout "Hallelujah!"
