CAPA Corner: The Power of Praise

    In 2 Chronicles chapter 20 king Jehoshaphat is faced with eminent doom. Three enemy armies are coming to invade Judah. Jehoshaphat fasts and prays and the Spirit of the Lord speaks to them and tells them, “ Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” Then the Lord continues with his promise, “Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem;: fear not nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.” Jehoshaphat appoints singers that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and said, Praise the Lord, for his mercy endures forever. When they began to sing and praise God the three enemy armies turn on themselves and destroy each other. All of the enemy has been destroyed by praising the one true God and because of this great slaughter Judah gathers an abundance of riches and precious jewels from their dead bodies. It took them three days to take away the spoil it was so much.
    What do we learn here about the power of praise? Promises of God causes his people to praise the beauty of holiness. When his people praise him with a true and faithful heart the results are astounding. God destroys the works of the enemy and through the destruction of the enemy God brings about abundant provision having all our needs met and more. 
    In Acts chapter 16 Paul and Silas have been put in jail because they disrupted the finances of the unfruitful works of darkness. They are both stripped and beaten before being thrown into the inner prison and put into shackles. It says Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God and the prisoners heard them. All of a sudden there was an earthquake, the foundations shook and all the doors were opened and every one’s bonds were loosed. As a result of this the jailer and all in his house were saved.
    What do we learn here about the power of praise? Persecution for Christ’s sake causes his people to praise him. The results of praise here are: the earth moves and foundations of people’s personal prisons are shaken; ALL prison doors are open, not just ours but all who hear; ALL chains are broken, not just ours but all who hear. The best result of the power of praise is that men are saved in Jesus’ name. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness…
Prisoner of the King,
Kenny Kepper