380-Change Your Bad Situation with Praise#
380-Change Your Bad Situation with Praise
(JP Text Group - shalom 整理)
Brothers and sisters, peace in the Lord, welcome to your arrival.
The topic of sharing is: Change Your Bad Situation with Praise.
2 Chronicles 20:1-4:
1 After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, along with some of the Meunites, came to wage war against Jehoshaphat. 2 Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazazon Tamar (that is, En Gedi).” 3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you, thank you for preparing this time for us to come before you. Please lead this time, renew us and supply us through your word, no matter what we encounter in life, let praise replace the environment and overcome the environment. You hear our prayers; we know that praise is also a form of prayer. Lead this time so that everyone who seeks you will receive, in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen!
Today we talk about praise. Praise mainly refers to songs, not just saying nice words. Although saying nice words is also a form of praise, the praise we are talking about here mainly refers to singing songs of praise or praising the Lord with musical instruments. When people are feeling down, they often listen to some relatively soothing music or sing some happier songs to change their mood. However, the praise we speak of, the songs we sing, are different from those of the world. Songs are full of life; they can not only change our mood but also change our environment, bringing renewal and supply to our lives.
Many people tend to feel discouraged and irritated when faced with a bad environment, and they may say some negative words. Can this solve the problem? Certainly not. But when faced with a bad environment, if you open your mouth to sing songs, singing some powerful songs can not only lift your spirits but also change the environment! Let’s take a look at the problems Jehoshaphat faced and how he reacted.
From the passage we just read in 2 Chronicles 20:1-4, we can see that enemies from all sides united to attack him. It was clear that his chances of winning were very slim. Jehoshaphat was very afraid; it was not just a matter of victory or defeat, but possibly a matter of life and death. In his fear, he resolved to seek the Lord. What does it mean to resolve to seek the Lord? It means that in a completely unequal battle, relying on himself had no chance of victory at all; he made up his mind not to seek others anymore but to resolve to seek the Lord!
I believe you have heard many testimonies. Many people say that God healed their diseases after they had seen many doctors, but to no avail. Finally, when the doctors declared it terminal, saying the disease was incurable, they believed in Jesus, simply believing in Jesus because He was their last hope, and unexpectedly, they were healed! This is what it means to resolve to seek the Lord, treating God as the last straw of salvation, especially since our God’s straw is very sturdy.
Jehoshaphat resolved to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah! Many people may try to emulate Jehoshaphat's actions. When faced with fearful situations or great tribulations, they pray and fast at the same time. A brief mention of fasting: it does not mean that the previous prayers were ineffective, but at this moment, the people of Judah were facing life-and-death issues, so they put everything else aside and solely looked to God, seeking His will. This was the reason for their fasting.
In the Old Testament, fasting was a way to humble oneself and confess sins to God, and in the New Testament, it also means to pray earnestly to God. In the scripture we just read, people from all the towns of Judah came out to seek God. What were they doing? They began to gather; everyone in the city put down their work and started to cry out to God! Because a great army was pressing in, the enemies were almost at the door, so they laid aside everything to cry out to God! This is also something we should learn from; no matter how great the danger or difficulty we encounter in life, we must resolve to seek the Lord! But do not wait until there is no way out before seeking God. When problems arise, seek the Lord at the first opportunity, resolve to seek Him.
What does the name of the Lord mean? It means the God who makes a covenant with us. When you seek God and pray to Him, always remember that He is the God who has made a covenant with you. This covenant is the agreement established by Jesus with His blood, which is eternally valid. Therefore, no matter what you encounter, you must be sure to seek God with this covenant, and He will surely take responsibility for you. Amen! Let’s see how Jehoshaphat prayed.
First point: Praying by Holding on to God’s Promises
2 Chronicles 20:5-7:
5 Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said: “Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?
Have you noticed that Jehoshaphat's prayer is very interesting? He did not say before God, “Lord, look at the great suffering I am enduring, please save me, I have sinned too much, please forgive me…” He did not pray like that, and the Bible does not say that Jehoshaphat was in trouble because he had sinned. When we encounter difficulties, we should pray by holding on to His promises. Jehoshaphat first acknowledged that the Lord is the God of their ancestors, the God of heaven, and the ruler of all nations, believing that God is powerful. Then he mentioned, “Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?” This means, “Lord, please remember the covenant you made with your friend Abraham; you have given this land to your friend Abraham and his descendants forever!”
What Jehoshaphat meant by these words was: I am a descendant of Abraham! Now enemies are coming to attack the descendants of Abraham; we have a covenant with you, so please help us! Jehoshaphat was not making a vain request or praying randomly; he was praying by holding on to God’s promises. I hope our brothers and sisters, when facing problems, remember that the Bible tells us that Jesus has become our sin offering. Jesus has established a covenant between us and the Father, and this covenant is eternal. Whenever we come before God in prayer, we should hold on to the promises God has given us in the Bible.
God has given us many promises. When you read the Bible regularly, when you encounter difficulties, just take out one of those promises and pray to God! “Lord, this is what you have said; now I ask you to fulfill this promise in my life. I earnestly need your help!” This is our prayer before God, and Jehoshaphat prayed like this, holding on to God’s promises, and God will surely listen. Amen!
God does not look at our good behavior or whether we have thoroughly confessed our sins before He promises to hear our prayers. Rather, God listens to your prayers because of Jesus and is willing to hear your prayers. Amen! Always remember this principle of prayer.
Second point: Acknowledging One's Inability and Believing that God Has the Power to Save
2 Chronicles 20:11-12:
11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
Jehoshaphat's prayer is very characteristic. First, he held on to God’s promises; second, he acknowledged that he had no strength to confront the invading enemies. He came before God and said, “Lord, look at how they are repaying us; they want to drive us out of this land, making it impossible for me to inherit the promised land you want to give us.” In fact, Jehoshaphat meant, “Lord, the descendants of Abraham are here, and now the enemies want to drive me away from this land, which goes against your original will!” So he said, “Lord, will you not judge them?”
Many times we say, “Lord, punish them!” as if God were our servant, commanding Him to do this or that. In fact, when we cry out to God, we must always remember that He is our Father, not someone we command to do things. Although we can declare, which means we can use the name of Jesus to command the devil to retreat and command diseases to leave, we cannot command, “Lord, you go do this or that.” It is not like that! So Jehoshaphat said, “Our God, will you not judge them?” Jehoshaphat meant that God must act against them because he had no power to withstand this vast army attacking them.
Brothers and sisters, in life, we will encounter situations that feel like the sky is falling, difficulties, and tribulations. Some people go to the hospital and find out they have a terminal illness, or a major calamity strikes, and they suddenly do not know what to do. This means they feel powerless against the disturbances coming at them. They can pray to God: “Lord, I do not know what to do, but my eyes are solely on you!” This is the core of Jehoshaphat's prayer.
“I do not know what to do; the vast army is coming from all directions, but I look to you!” Some may ask: How do we look to God? Jehoshaphat’s approach was to look to God! He presented the problem before God and acknowledged his inability, asking God to help him. This is looking to God! Therefore, when you encounter problems and come before God in prayer, this is looking to God. Amen! Do not complicate looking to God; it is very simple. It means that apart from you, I will not seek other solutions because there are no other solutions. I will not seek help from others because no one can help me. My eyes are solely on you; you are my way out, and you will act to save me!
What was God’s response? 2 Chronicles 20:14-15:
14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly. 15 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.
Brothers and sisters, when all the people were crying out to God, fasting, and praying, the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of the Lord, which is actually the Holy Spirit, came upon Jahaziel. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit did not dwell upon someone all the time, which is different from the New Testament. In the Old Testament, when the Spirit of the Lord came upon someone, it was temporary. Once the word was spoken, the Spirit of the Lord would leave. Because in the Old Testament, people’s sins had not been completely removed, the Holy Spirit would not permanently dwell in their hearts.
When the Spirit of the Lord came upon someone, the words spoken by that person were God’s words; this was the role of the prophet. The prophets in the Old Testament were actually the Spirit of God speaking through them. After the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is different. After Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended like flames upon the 120 disciples in the upper room, and from then on, the Holy Spirit dwells in the hearts of those who believe in Jesus.
What does this mean? It means that after believing in Jesus, the problem of sin is removed, and the Holy Spirit dwells in the hearts of people and will never leave. At that time, when the Holy Spirit wants to speak through someone, He will quote God’s words. After being filled with the Holy Spirit, some people will speak in tongues, prophesy, or even praise God, and the external manifestation is like this. Therefore, do not worry that the Holy Spirit will leave us; it was only in the Old Testament that the Holy Spirit would leave.
In urgent times, the Holy Spirit came upon someone, and that was the will of the Holy Spirit. It does not necessarily come upon a king or a certain Levite. It does not have to be that way.
Today is quite special; the Spirit did not come upon a famous prophet but upon a person named Jahaziel. Who is he? He is one who leads praise in the assembly of the Lord. You all know Asaph; his name appears many times in the Psalms. Asaph is similar to those who write songs, lead praise, and lead worship in today’s church. Asaph is quite a well-known figure, and Jahaziel is a descendant of Asaph. The mention of Jahaziel indicates that he was not the most prominent figure among those leading songs; he was just one of the people leading praise.
Why am I telling you this? I just want to convey that the Holy Spirit wants to work through whoever He chooses, not necessarily the way we think. We may think the Holy Spirit will choose those who are famous, handsome, or capable, but it does not have to be that way. God looks at the heart of the person who is willing to be used by Him. Many books in the Old Testament were written by unknown people, like Amos, who was originally a tree pruner. In today’s terms, he was a gardener, and the Holy Spirit used him to write the prophetic books of the Old Testament. Therefore, do not judge who will be used by God or whether someone’s prophecy is correct based on our eyes. We are all praying, and the Holy Spirit can work through any person who is willing to be used by God.
Now Jahaziel was used by God and stood up to say to everyone: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says.” Every time we encounter this phrase, we must pay special attention because in the Old Testament, when someone speaks like this, we must first discern whether what he says comes from God. A true prophet’s words must come to pass; if they do not, he is a false prophet and will be stoned to death!
In the New Testament, especially in the last days, some people misuse the name of the Holy Spirit, saying, “God revealed to me this,” or “The Lord said to me this,” or “Last night I…” We must discern. In the Old Testament, they were very cautious about such words; they did not believe them casually!
Let’s look at what the Lord says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.’
God spoke through Jahaziel to all the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem who were praying, comforting them, and telling them that God had heard their prayers. They should not worry or be afraid; the outcome of the battle does not depend on them. They should not look at the many enemies around them! Indeed, their numbers, strength, and formation might exceed theirs, but the outcome of the battle does not depend on these! Do not be frightened by these! It depends on God. I also want to pass this message to you: no matter how great the difficulties, problems, calamities, or obstacles you encounter, remember that the outcome does not depend on you, but on God! What should you do? Pray to God! Hallelujah, pray to God!
Many times when we encounter problems, we feel that when we pray to God, He should immediately solve them. In fact, the problem Jehoshaphat faced was indeed urgent, but God did not immediately say to them, “I will destroy all the enemies.” Instead, God moved Jahaziel, who was leading the praise at that time, and revealed to him a word: “Do not be afraid; the battle is God’s, not yours!” Immediately, God provided a very specific method.
2 Chronicles 20:16-18:
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.
Thank God! When Jehoshaphat led all the congregation to cry out to God in the face of life-and-death trials, God gave them a method: “Tomorrow, go out to face the enemy; do not be afraid. Although the numbers are greatly mismatched, I am with you!” This word gave Jehoshaphat great encouragement. Brothers and sisters, do you know that God is also with you? No matter how great the difficulties you encounter, please remember that the Lord is with you! Knowing that God is with us means we will face this problem together. Will you still be afraid? If you say you are still worried, you may not realize who is standing with you. Carefully meditate on Jesus and what He did on the cross. Think about how many great miracles Jesus performed on earth, how much authority and power He had. Meditate on these things, and you will know that the Holy Spirit is with me, standing with me. As long as I call out to God, God is with me and will surely help me.
After hearing these words, Jehoshaphat bowed down. What does this mean? It means complete trust and acceptance, without doubt. Since God said to go out and face the enemy tomorrow, we will go out and face the enemy. It is that simple! Brothers and sisters, God’s method sounds particularly simple. The four armies are here, and God says, “Go out; tomorrow I will be with you!” This is a promise without specific words, but God gave them a very professional and incredible method.
Let’s look at 2 Chronicles 20:19: The Levites from the Kohathites and the Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
When the people heard the promise God gave them, all the Levites from the Kohathites and the Korahites, who were leading praise, stood up and praised God. It is stated very clearly that they praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. This is something we should emulate. When we encounter difficulties and pray to God, remember the promise God gave us. If the problem seems unresolved, what should we do? Do not say, “Lord, why hasn’t the problem been solved? Why are the enemies still here?” Do not look at these. After receiving God’s promise, believe that God will surely solve this problem. Instead, open your mouth to praise Him, praise Him with a loud voice, keep praising, keep praising, Hallelujah! Until you are no longer afraid, no longer worried, and can bravely face the enemy, that is enough.
Imagine if you were Jehoshaphat; what a terrifying scene it would be! Four armies surrounded you, and tomorrow you would have to face them personally. In such a situation, many people would not dare to go out. So the Levites began to praise, praise, and praise! Until they were filled with faith, Hallelujah! Of course, I am just sharing these examples and verses from the Bible. We need to receive them with faith. In such a critical moment, can we praise? Many people might be too frightened to do so, or even complain.
Look at the Israelites when Moses led them out of Egypt to the edge of the Red Sea. The enemies were chasing them from behind, and there was no way forward. The Israelites were also very afraid, and they complained: “Moses, is there no grave in Egypt that you brought us out here to die by the sea?” Have you noticed that the actions of the Levites from the Kohathites and the Korahites were different? They encountered similar problems, and even their problems were more severe than those faced by the Israelites at that time. But what did they do? They praised the Lord with a very loud voice, Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
We may often focus more on the movements of the enemies, which will only make you more afraid! But the Levites praised the Lord with a very loud voice, which is the remedy for overcoming fear. Amen! When choosing songs, be sure to choose wisely. Do not choose the wrong songs. If you are already afraid, singing a fearful song will only make you more discouraged. Many churches have become desolate because everyone lacks enthusiasm, is unwilling to gather, and is lazy. It is precisely these praise teams that sing about the desolation of the church every day. I remember one church that liked to sing a particular song every time, and in the end, the church closed down because no one was left. What they needed was a revival of the church; why not sing some revival songs instead of desolation songs? If they kept singing about desolation, wouldn’t it just lead to more desolation until no one was left?
They were afraid, so they could not sing fearful songs. They should sing songs of courage, praising God’s wonders, greatness, and power! Singing such songs will fill you with hope and faith in God! When choosing these songs, be sure to pay attention! Choose some positive, uplifting songs that align with the truth and can bring us hope and strength. Thank and praise the Lord! Jehoshaphat completely trusted God and believed in His guidance.
Let’s look at 2 Chronicles 20:20-22:
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, they sang: “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.
Brothers and sisters, yesterday they received God’s revelation, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am with you. You may go out and arrange your troops; watch how I will give you victory!” Although God’s words were here, they still needed to take that step and face the problem! Just like what was shared earlier, even if God gives you a word, many people seem weak and cannot take that step of faith because they are unsure of what will happen when they face the enemy. They might arrange their troops, and if God does not act, they might perish!
The residents of Jerusalem and Judah also had this concern. As they went out, Jehoshaphat stood up to encourage them, saying, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld.” He wanted to encourage the people not to be afraid and to stand firm before the enemies, believing that God’s words are certain! Believe in God; stand firm there and do not be afraid!
What does believing in His prophets mean? It means believing the words spoken by the prophets. God has given us His words through the prophets, and we must believe what they say. Since God said He would fight for us, let us arrange our troops and wait. We must believe in God and the words of the prophets. Amen.
What do we believe? We believe that the words of Jesus Christ and the promises God has given us will surely succeed. Amen. Although this is said, not everyone’s faith can be as great as Jehoshaphat’s. After Jehoshaphat consulted with the people, he appointed singers to praise the Lord, which means he placed the praise team at the forefront of the army, leading the people in praise as they marched forward!
The song they sang at that time was: “Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever.” You can find this in the Psalms; there is a Psalm that repeatedly says, “His love endures forever.” Jehoshaphat said to the praise team, “Lead the people with your loud voices to praise God and see how God leads us to victory!”
In verse 22, a turning point occurred: As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
If this is how to win a battle, is it simple? Many people would say it is simple! If you were to be one of those in the praise team, would you be willing to stand in front of the enemy and sing? Many people might say it is hard to say; those are real enemies with real weapons. What am I supposed to do? Just sing with my mouth while arrows fly by? Wouldn’t I be finished?
Yes, if you think rationally like this, you would indeed be afraid to go to battle. We will indeed be very afraid in the face of difficulties. But have you noticed that these people in the praise team were truly filled with faith? They are our examples and worthy of emulation. When you encounter difficulties, I give you the ultimate method for victory: praise! Find some songs that can give you strength and power, and keep praising until your problems disappear. Amen.
Because when you keep praising, this is also a form of prayer! The lyrics of praise are the content of our cries and prayers to God! “Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever.” Isn’t this the content of their prayer to God? We thank our Lord that His love endures forever, so when facing the enemy, we do not think about how great the enemy is. We do not focus on how powerful the enemy is; we think about how His love endures forever. Amen!
There was once a sister who had a skin disease. Later, she went to church and heard a song from the choir: “You are the God who heals.” After hearing this song, she was very moved. When she got home, she listened to this song continuously for twenty-four hours, singing it over and over again. Eventually, her skin disease was healed within a week. She had suffered from this stubborn disease for over thirty years. Brothers and sisters, this is one way, but it is not the only way. I just want to tell everyone that using praise can overcome the difficulties and problems we encounter.
Do not always focus on your problems and difficulties. If you keep looking at the many enemies approaching you step by step, you may feel you have no strength to fight. But if you praise God, looking to your Lord, calling upon God to give you strength, He will protect you! Believe that our God spreads His wings over us, like a hen protecting her chicks under her wings. What is there to be afraid of? God will fight for us, and He will grant us wisdom. Amen!
Just like Jehoshaphat received God’s wisdom: to place the praise team at the forefront. The people did not see the enemies directly; instead, they saw this group of people praising! Let them sing together with this group of singers, praising God, calling upon God, Hallelujah! What did God do? God caused the enemies coming from all sides to kill each other, and they all died. What the people of Judah did was keep praising! They overcame the enemies with praise! If you read the latter part of 2 Chronicles 20, you will know that they praised and praised until all the enemies fell down! The enemies who came ended up killing each other, and in the end, they went to collect the spoils and treasures, which took several days!
When we see such results, we say our God is truly great and worthy of praise! It is not at this moment that we praise; it is whether we can praise God with faith before we see the results. Hallelujah!
2 Chronicles 20:27-30:
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.
You see this result, and it is a great joy. As they went out, the praise team led everyone forward, singing loudly and calling upon the wonders of God, defeating the enemies. When they returned, they brought back the spoils, and they were even happier! They played the harp, lyre, and trumpet to praise God as they entered the temple of God. After entering the temple, the people truly had no fear; they saw the results, and all fear was removed. They rejoiced, were happy, praised, played the harp, and sang in the Lord’s temple, and it was heartfelt! This unique way of defeating the enemies made the surrounding kingdoms fear when they heard how the Lord had defeated Israel’s enemies!
Praise and prayer are wonderful; the enemies will be afraid! If you focus on the movements of the enemies every day, seeing how powerful they are, it is like someone saying, “You do not know how powerful the devil is!” He describes what the devil has done, which only makes people more afraid! Instead, praise God! Overcome problems and environments with the voice of praise, and your enemies will be afraid! Because of this unique victory, the kingdom of Jehoshaphat enjoyed peace because God granted him peace on every side.
Can we guess whether Jehoshaphat became a person who frequently praised God afterward? Brothers and sisters, you know why I encourage everyone to praise God when they are happy and when they are not happy, to praise God when they are weak, and even more so when they are strong! Whenever you have time, hum a few lines; it does not matter if you are off-key, as long as you know you are praising God through the song! If others say you are not in tune, it does not matter; we are praising God! Of course, it is still better to learn to be accurate, and it is even better to be able to praise together with others. Thank and praise the Lord! When we praise God, we are actually reflecting on God’s wonders and greatness, and you will be filled with strength.
Psalm 100:1-5:
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
How do we serve the Lord? It is in a very simple way. Do not always think that serving God means you must do something for Him. Singing to Him is also serving God. Hallelujah! You are His people, the sheep of His pasture. God brings you to green pastures and still waters, not expecting you to do something in return for Him. Just offering Him thanks and praise is enough!
When we continually give thanks and praise to God, we unknowingly enter His gates and draw closer to Him! We will discover His goodness, His love, and His faithfulness! In other words, when we sing praises, we should reflect on the meaning of the lyrics, which describe our God’s greatness. When we think about what God has done for us, His greatness and wonders fill our hearts with strength. Hallelujah!
Ephesians 5:18-20:
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. After drinking, some people will hum a few lyrics to release their inner sadness or emotions. But we do not need to do that; we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Those filled with the Holy Spirit have another characteristic: they praise God with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Do not think that being filled with the Holy Spirit means only speaking in tongues or prophesying. No, being filled with the Holy Spirit also means continuously praising God! Some people filled with the Holy Spirit can praise God for three or four hours! They keep singing, and you do not know what they are singing because they are humming a tune, and you cannot understand the lyrics because they are praying in tongues, which is a spiritual song. The more they sing, the more joyful they become, and some even jump up while singing. This is what is meant by spiritual songs and dances. The more they sing, the more joyful they become, forgetting their previous sorrows and troubles, completely healed by God!
In this process, their hearts find rest, and God will also use songs, spiritual songs, and hymns to resolve their doubts and problems, just like Jehoshaphat. Therefore, do not overlook these; you can often use songs to praise our God. The more you praise, even if there is the work of the devil, he will be very afraid because when you sing songs, your ears, heart, and mouth are all praising God, and the devil has no place to enter!
The devil is afraid when we settle down and think about those terrible and negative things. That is when he has the opportunity to tempt and exploit you. When you feel uncomfortable, down, or weak, listen to songs and sing praises along with them. Thank the Lord; this is wonderful! In the process of waiting, praying, and achieving, you can praise the Lord, which increases your faith and assures us of God’s promises!
Find some related songs, first look at the lyrics, and if you like the melody, use this song to enter prayer and worship. In this song, reflect on God’s wonders and greatness, think about how Jesus loves us so much. This is worship. Many people just sing a song, and when they finish, they think it is over. No! We enjoy being in God’s presence through this song, seeing the promises God has given us, and holding on to the blessings God wants to give us in our meditation. The process of singing is the process of meditation.
Continuously singing is the process of interacting with God. Hallelujah! Unknowingly, our hearts find rest, and the problems are temporarily set aside. Inside, we begin to be activated by God. Hallelujah! We may have some wonderful ideas and new perspectives on the problem, and perhaps the problem will be resolved! This is one way to overcome all problems with praise. Hallelujah!
Finally, let’s look at a passage of scripture, Psalm 40:1-3:
1 I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.
In fact, the Psalms can be sung. Psalm 40, a psalm of David, is meant to be sung. They had problems, and in the songs, they expressed their cries to God. God lifted them out of the slimy pit and the mud, setting their feet on a rock. These are the lyrics. When they sang these songs, they could think that even though they were in the mud and the pit, their God had already lifted them up and set their feet on a rock, making their steps secure!
The more they express these words and sing these songs, the stronger they become! Sing a new song to praise God! Moreover, he expressed words of faith: many will see and fear. Although the problem may not yet be resolved, many will see his praise and worship of God and witness God’s power! Those people will fear and retreat. Hallelujah! Trust in God, and those people may even change and turn to trust in the Lord. Hallelujah! Many people are changed by God in the process of praise!
Indeed, many people have been led to believe in Jesus. They may not understand what is being preached at the church, but they can understand praise! Because songs have no boundaries; they can transcend human reasoning, knowledge, experience, and background. The songs sung are songs of life! And the work of the Holy Spirit, when we express God’s power through songs, is actually expressing our inner gratitude to God or calling upon God through songs. When the songs are sung, those who listen will also receive comfort. Hallelujah!
Let me emphasize again that songs are also a form of prayer. Some say they do not know how to pray. Okay, you can find some songs you like and praise God. In the process of singing, reflect on God’s power, and you will learn to rely on God! I hope everyone develops the habit of praising God. Hallelujah!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you for giving us such words! When Jehoshaphat faced great tribulations, he encouraged the people with loud praises, and you heard their songs and fought for them, fulfilling the promises in the songs! A new week is beginning, and I do not know what lies ahead. Many people are speaking negative words, but I will sing and praise your name in my life. Our God is worthy of praise; you have the power to solve my problems. Even before they are resolved, I am willing to give you thanks and praise, willing to sing loudly of our God’s greatness! You can change my situation, overcoming these negative and terrible voices with praise, replacing shame with the voice of praise; replacing sorrow with the voice of praise! Thank and praise the Lord, believing that the Holy Spirit will do this renewing work.
In the new week, let your song accompany me, and many wonderful things will happen to me! I look forward to good things happening! All glory be to you. In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen!
Jesus loves you.