Today’s exhortation – Praise your way out!
One day, I was going through some stuff and felt really down. I had been praying all day for peace but still felt nothing. Then as I waited for a train to get home from work, I decided to listen to some worship songs to see if perhaps worship will lift my mood. I felt worse. I couldn’t shift the heaviness. Then I heard the word ‘praise’ in my head. I just knew in that moment I needed to praise God. I switched the music to praise and in no time, I was dancing and praising God on the train platform. People were looking at me, but to be honest I was past caring. I was tired and just wanted to be free. Something changed. By the time the train arrived I was full of joy and peace.
I believe there are times when you have just got to praise your way out of a situation. I had often heard that there’s power in praise but that was my first real encounter with it. There was a time a king of Judah was faced with a huge army. He cried to God for help and God’s answer was, ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.’ (II Chronicles 20:15). The next day, the king sent his army out to meet the enemy, but he did something unusual. He sent the singers out in front of the solders and the bible says, Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. (II Chronicles 20:22). Hallelujah, have a blessed week!!
Francis Hans-Jorie
