🕊️ PRAY HERE Devotion 🕊️ Praise Destroys The Enemy

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 20:21-22 KJV

“And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.”

Devotion :

Many people underestimate the POWER OF PRAISE, while others don’t even really know what praising God is.

Have you ever sat in church and heard somebody say, “Come on and give God praise!” and you just sat there?

Maybe you were going through something and didn’t feel like praising.

Maybe you were angry.

Maybe you were discouraged.

Maybe something happened before you got to church and praising God was the last thing you felt like doing.

Whewww! 😮‍💨

Then there are people who simply don’t know God well enough to understand WHY they should praise Him.

The Bible tells us, “Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD.”

If you are breathing right now…

You qualify! 😂🙌🏽

You are reading this devotion right now because God allowed you to wake up and see another day.

And this devotion just might change your life if you apply it.

Because praise is POWERFUL!

I’m not talking about fake praise.

I’m not talking about rehearsed praise.

I’m not talking about choreographed praise where we’re just going through the motions because everybody else is doing it.

I’m talking about a REAL…

“HALLELUJAH! THANK YOU JESUS!”

Praise!

🙌🏽👏🏽🔥

Sometimes you have to stop thinking about your problems.

Matter of fact, sometimes you have to stop thinking about yourself, period!

Think about what God has already done.

Think about situations that could have been much worse.

Think about doors He opened.

Think about doors He closed that you later realized needed to be closed.

Think about accidents He prevented.

Think about prayers He answered.

Think about times you didn’t know how you were going to make it…

but somehow you made it.

That’s a good place to pause and PRAISE GOD! 🙌🏽👏🏽

And while writing this, I immediately heard:

“You don’t know what He’s done for me… Gave me the victory!”

Whewwww! 🙌🏽🔥

I have many things I could share where praising God helped me win.

But let me calm down and finish telling you about praise. 😂 I get caught up when I get to thinking about His goodness.

Let’s look at today’s text.

Jehoshaphat gathered all of the people together at the temple of the Lord.

They were in trouble.

And where did he go and take everybody?

TO CHURCH!

My, my, my.

Isn’t it interesting that when some people get in trouble, they do the exact opposite?

They STOP going to church.

They stop praying.

Stop reading the Bible.

Stop worshipping.

Stop communicating with other believers.

They isolate themselves from the very things that could help strengthen them.

God is everywhere, but when you feel like you can’t find Him, you should always be able to find God at church.

Notice I said should. 👀

I know all churches are not created equal.

But Jehoshaphat and Judah gathered together at the temple seeking the Lord.

And while they were there…

THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME INTO THEIR MIDST!

WHEWWWW! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

There is no greater feeling than when the presence of the Lord comes in the room!

COME IN THE ROOM, LORD! 🙌🏽🔥

And in this setting, God didn’t just come into the room.

He spoke.

The Spirit of the Lord spoke through Jahaziel and gave them tactical and vital instructions concerning the battle ahead.

Jehoshaphat and the nation of Judah were facing a massive alliance of enemy armies.

Naturally speaking, this looked BAD.

To somebody with no faith or knowledge of God, this could easily look like:

“This is the end.”

And praise would probably be the last thing on their mind.

But look at what God’s people did when the threat came.

They went to church.

They heard instructions from the Lord.

They worshipped the Lord.

And THEN they were ready to face the enemy.

Whewww!

There’s a lesson right there.

Don’t run into battles before you’ve heard from God.

Some of us are fighting things God never told us to fight that way.

We’re responding emotionally.

We’re arguing.

We’re retaliating.

We’re making plans.

We’re calling everybody asking what they think.

And we haven’t stopped long enough to ask:

“Lord, how do YOU want me to handle this?”

Because God’s battle strategy might look completely different from yours.

And today’s Scripture proves it!

Let’s read the text.

Jehoshaphat appointed singers.

Now don’t run past that.

He intentionally selected people who were going to sing praises unto the Lord.

And where did he put them?

In front of the army!

😂🙌🏽

Now imagine explaining that military strategy to somebody who doesn’t know God.

“We’re facing a massive army. What’s the plan?”

“We’re sending the choir out first.”

😂😂 Whewwww!

That doesn’t make natural sense!

You would expect the strongest soldiers to go first.

Get the weapons ready.

Position the fighters.

Prepare for battle.

But Jehoshaphat put PRAISE out front!

And they began saying:

“Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.”

Now watch verse 22 carefully because this is where it gets GOOD!

The Bible says:

“And WHEN THEY BEGAN to sing and to praise, THE LORD set ambushments…”

WHEWWWWWWWW! 🙌🏽🔥🔥🔥

Did you catch that?!

WHEN THEY BEGAN TO PRAISE…

THE LORD BEGAN TO MOVE!

The Scripture doesn’t say God set the ambushes while they were complaining.

It doesn’t say He set them while they were panicking.

It doesn’t say He set them while they were discussing how big the enemy was.

WHEN THEY BEGAN TO SING AND PRAISE, THE LORD SET THE AMBUSHES!

My God!!!

Their praise didn’t destroy the enemy because singing itself had some magical power.

Their praise expressed faith and worship toward the God who had already promised to fight for them—and GOD destroyed the enemy!

That’s important.

The power wasn’t in them.

The power was in GOD!

And praise positioned their hearts in agreement with Him.

They were praising God before they saw the victory.

Whewww!

Anybody can praise after the battle is over.

Anybody can shout when the prayer has already been answered.

Anybody can say, “God is good!” when everything is going good.

But can you praise Him while the enemy is still standing in front of you?

Can you praise Him while you’re waiting?

Can you praise Him before the situation changes?

Can you praise Him when the numbers don’t look good?

Can you praise Him while you’re still believing for the breakthrough?

THAT’S FAITH-FILLED PRAISE!

🙌🏽🔥

And look at what happened.

God caused confusion among the enemy forces until they began destroying one another!

Judah didn’t have to manufacture the victory.

God fought the battle!

Now you may be sitting there thinking:

“So you’re telling me they praised and worshipped God…

and God won the battle for them?!”

YES!

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽🙌🏽

And here’s the part I want you to take home today:

Notice that the Lord did not set the ambushes until they BEGAN to sing and praise.

So let me ask you something.

What ambushes do you need God to set against the enemy?

What battle do you need Him to fight?

What situation have you been worrying about?

What has been keeping you awake?

What are you tired of fighting in your own strength?

What do you need the Lord to help you WIN?

I have one question for you:

WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO START PRAISING GOD?!

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽🙌🏽🔥

Stop waiting until everything gets better!

Praise Him NOW!

Praise Him while you’re waiting.

Praise Him while you’re praying.

Praise Him while you’re believing.

Praise Him while the enemy still thinks he’s winning.

Praise Him because you know Who your God is!

And when REAL praise and worship begins in our churches…

When people stop worrying about who’s watching…

Stop worrying about who’s sitting beside them…

Stop performing…

Stop going through rehearsed motions…

And God’s people begin sincerely praising Him from their hearts…

THE LORD STEPS INTO BATTLES!

WHEWWWWWW! 🙌🏽🔥

Some battles don’t need another argument.

Some battles don’t need another Facebook post.

Some battles don’t need you defending yourself.

Some battles don’t need another sleepless night trying to figure everything out.

Some battles need you to get somewhere, lift your hands, open your mouth, and PRAISE GOD!

Because the same God who fought for Judah is still God today.

So if you’re in a battle right now…

DON’T LET THE ENEMY STEAL YOUR PRAISE!

Matter of fact, praise Him harder.

You might not see what God is doing yet.

But while you’re praising…

God can be setting ambushes you know nothing about.

HALLELUJAH!!! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🔥🔥🔥

Reflect & Respond

What battle has had more of your attention lately than God?

Have you spent more time worrying about it than praising Him?

Today, change your response.

Before you complain again…

PRAISE.

Before you panic again…

PRAISE.

Before you try to fight another battle in your own strength…

PRAISE!

Take a moment right now and think about what God has already done for you.

Then open your mouth and give Him a REAL PRAISE! Really pray the prayer for today. See what happens afterwards. God bless!

👏🏽🙌🏽

Prayer :

Father God, HALLELUJAH!

I praise You because You are good. I praise You because You are faithful. I praise You because You have already brought me through things I didn’t know how I was going to survive.

Forgive me for the times I allowed my problems to silence my praise.

Forgive me for focusing more on the enemy than on You.

Today, I choose to praise You before I see the victory.

When fear tells me to panic, help me praise.

When circumstances tell me I’m defeated, help me praise.

When I don’t know what to do, remind me to seek You, listen for Your instructions, worship You, and trust You to fight for me.

Lord, step into every battle that is according to Your will for me to face. Confuse every plan of the enemy and protect me from what I cannot see.

Give me genuine praise; not performance, not routine, but praise that comes from a grateful heart that truly knows who You are.

I will not let the enemy steal my praise.

You have been too good to me.

You have kept me.

You have protected me.

You have provided for me.

And whether I can see the victory yet or not…

I PRAISE YOU BECAUSE I KNOW THE VICTORY BELONGS TO YOU!

In Jesus’ name, Amen! 🙌🏽🔥💙