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 (2 Chronicles 20:21).
As Christians, God hears and answers when we pray, but how to make His power that is released on our behalf work for us is what many don’t know. One of the ways to activate that power is through praise! Throughout the Scriptures, we find amazing and inspiring accounts of how God delivered His people from imminent destruction and dire circumstances when they activated His power through praise.
See Also: Giving Thanks
A good example is what we read in our opening verse. Three nations—Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—came out against Judah and made ready to attack her. However, King Jehoshaphat was wise. He gathered all Judah together to seek the Lord in prayer and fasting. When they prayed, God revealed to them the exact location of their enemies’ camp, and gave them the strategy to defeat them.
2 Chronicles 20:22 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.” When trouble strikes, like Jehoshaphat, “put the singers in front” and you’ll have the same result. Don’t wait until you feel like singing before you make a melody in your heart and sing praises unto the Lord. Whether you feel like it or not, whether you’re happy or not, praise Him all the same.
Paul and Silas experienced a supernatural jailbreak by offering this kind of unusual praise. For preaching the Gospel, they were tortured and incarcerated in a Roman maximum-security prison. However, at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God. As they did, the power of God was activated and they were supernaturally set free (Acts 16:25-26).
This miraculous encounter led to the salvation of the prison warden and his entire family. You may be faced with a difficult situation today for which you’ve prayed and confessed that it’s all working out for your good, yet, nothing seems to have changed. Don’t give up! It’s time you offered to God the unusual praise. Speak and sing joyous tongues of praise and thanksgiving, and as you do, the power of God will move on your behalf, and you’ll have a great miracle.
