Win the battle…
Rise and Shine! Happy Worship Wednesday, sweet friends!
Today, as you wake up and start your day, praise Jesus in your heart and in your words.
When those worrisome thoughts come, when those fearful thoughts rise up….discipline your heart and mind to PRAISE God instead.
There was a season in my life when I would wake up and feel dread as I began my day. It was all I could do to roll out of bed.
Have you ever felt this way? It is a discouraging place to be.
God’s Word has the answer and the hope to help cure us from those feelings…PRAISE.
Psalm 71:14 As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.
Psalm 147:1 Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
To be flat out honest, it is a discipline to live in a state of praise. The world and the enemy distracts us from praise. The enemy knows that all battles are won through the praises of God’s people.
King Jehoshaphat. Do you remember him from your Bible?
If I had a dollar for every time I tell my kids this story…I would be filthy rich.
The King was threatened by a vast army. He became frightened, and sought the Lord in prayer and desperation.
Read a bit of the story here from 2 Chronicles..
He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.
16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel.
17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’ ”
18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD.
19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.”
21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.”
22 As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
23 The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
24 When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.
25 So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it.
26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the LORD. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah to this day.
27 Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies.
28 They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the LORD with harps and lyres and trumpets.
29 The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.
30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.
Did you see that?? The battle was already won when his army arrived!!! All because of the prayers, praises and worship of the people!
Friends, there is a battle waging all around us. The answer is not found in isolation or retaliation.
The victory is found in God’s Word…PRAISE.
What battle are you facing today?
Let’s do what King Jehoshaphat did…
Let’s PRAISE God all day long. From the moment we rise until we fall back in bed tonight.
Write it on your wrist as a reminder. OR put an alarm on your phone to remind you to praise.
waking up with praise on my lips,
jill
