The Power of Praise & Worship |
By Dr. Dale A. Robbins. Acts 16:23-26 “And when they had laid many
stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep
them safely: This Bible story begins the unjust
arrest of Paul and Silas. Because they had cast a spirit of divination out
of a girl, the local Philippian authorities beat them and then threw them
into a jail cell. Besides the trauma of the severe beating, they were
fastened in stocks which clamped their arms and legs in an immobile
position, causing cramps and loss of circulation. The atmosphere there was
depressing. According to the standards of that day, a prison was more like
the resemblance of a dungeon. A dark, damp, stench-ridden place, with no
facility for waste or comforts of any kind. Yet, in spite of the throbbing pain
in their bodies and the disheartening atmosphere, at midnight Paul and
Silas were heard praying and singing praises to God! What a strange sound
this must have been to the other prisoners, who were used to only hearing
the groans or cursings of those who had been beaten. Then suddenly, there was an
earthquake that shook the prison! The doors flung open, and amazingly, the
bonds of Paul, Silas, and every other prisoner were released! What caused
this mighty discharge of power? Praise
Elevates us into God’s Presence and Power Paul and Silas knew the secret of
how to lift their hearts above their troubles and enter into God’s
presence and power. Through praise and worship their hearts were raised
into the joyous presence and peace of God, and provided God a channel for
his power to operate in their circumstances. The Bible says that God inhabits in
the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3). In other words, God “dwells”
in the atmosphere of His praise. This means that praise is not merely a
reaction from coming into His presence - Praise is a vehicle of faith
which brings us into the presence and power of God! Praise and worship is
the “gate-pass” which allows us to enter the sacredness of His glory.
The psalmist writes, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into
his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name”
(Psalms 100:4). This corresponds with Jesus’
teaching, that His presence will inhabit the gathering of believers who
congregate in His name: “For where two or three are gathered together in
my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). A
“gathering in His name” means that Jesus must be the focus, the center
of the assemblage. He must be the one preached about, sung about — the
one praised and worshiped. “I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in
the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee” (Hebrews 2:12).
Consequently, Christ’s presence, along with His virtue and anointing, is
manifested in this type of gathering. Have you ever noticed when “gifts
of the Spirit” operate in a church service? The power and anointing of
the Holy Spirit usually becomes evident, subsequent to a time of worship
and praise. Some think that worship is a response after the Holy Spirit
moves upon them. However, it’s the other way around. God’s presence
responds when we move upon Him with worship! Lifting up Jesus Christ
through praise and worship invokes the Lord’s presence and power to flow
in our midst. What is
Praise? Praise means “to commend, to
applaud or magnify.” For the Christian, praise to God is an expression
of worship, lifting-up and glorifying the Lord. It is an expression of
humbling ourselves and centering our attention upon the Lord with
heart-felt expressions of love, adoration and thanksgiving. High praises
bring our spirit into a pinnacle of fellowship and intimacy between
ourselves and God — it magnifies our awareness of our spiritual union
with the most high God. Praise transports us into the realm of the
supernatural and into the power of God. “Blessed is the people that know
the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy
countenance” (Psalms 89:15). There are many actions involved with
praise to God — verbal expressions of adoration and thanksgiving,
singing, playing instruments, shouting, dancing, lifting or clapping our
hands. But true praise is not “merely” going through these motions.
Jesus spoke about the hypocrisy of the pharisees, whose worship was only
an outward show and not from the heart. “This people draweth nigh unto
me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is
far from me” (Matthew 15:8). Genuine praise to God is a matter of
humility and sincere devotion to the Lord from within. Unpretentious praise and worship
pleases the Lord. He delights in the love and devotion of His children.
According to the scriptures, the various expressions of praise bring
blessing to the Lord. He eagerly awaits the fragrance of our affections,
desiring to manifest His sweet presence and power in our midst. “...the
true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the
Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23). Praise to
God is a Lifestyle All too often, praise to God is
something that many people leave at church, an event that happens only
when they come together with other Christians. However, praise should be a
part of a believers lifestyle, inter-mingled as a part of their daily
prayer-life. At work, in the car, at home in bed, or anywhere; praise to
the Lord brings the refreshing of the Lord’s presence, along with His
power and anointing. “...I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise
shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalms 34:1). Praise is an expression of faith,
and a declaration of victory! It declares that we believe God is with us
and is in control of the outcome of all our circumstances (Romans 8:28).
Praise is a “sacrifice,” something that we offer to God sacrificially,
not just because we feel like it, but because we believe in Him and wish
to please Him. “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to
God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his
name” (Hebrews 13:15). Praise
Sends the Enemy Running Since praise manifests God’s
presence, we also realize that praise repels the presence of the enemy,
Satan. An atmosphere which is filled with sincere worship and praise to
God by humble and contrite hearts is disgusting to the Devil. He fears the
power in the name of Jesus, and flees from the Lord’s habitation in
praise. “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth
his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God” (Psalms
50:23). When the children of Judah found
themselves outnumbered by the hostile armies of Ammon, Moab, and mount
Seir, King Jehoshophat and all the people sought the Lord for His help.
The Lord assured the people that this would be His battle. He told them to
go out against them, and He would do the fighting for them. So what did
the children of Judah do? Being the people of “praise” (Judah actually
means Praise), and knowing that God manifests His power through praise,
they sent their army against their enemies, led by the praisers! So on they went, ahead of the army
declaring, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endureth forever!” And the
scripture says, “...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” (2 Chronicles 20:22). When God’s people begin to praise
His name, it sends the enemy running! I challenge you to become a person
of praise, and you will experience the release of the power of God! Some Biblical Expressions of Praise Declaring of thanks (Heb. 13:15) |