The Power of Praise

There is power in praise. Praising the Lord our God is something God we are supposed to do. "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord" Psalm 150:6. If you are like me, life happens, things come up, and the next thing I know I am all entangled in the cares of this world. In order to be obedient to praise the Lord, we must be intentional. We too can tap into the power of praise like Paul and Silas. 

​"But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened"  

Acts 16:25-26.Perhaps they were singing the Song of Moses, who sang and exalted the Lord after the sea was parted and they were saved from the Egyptians. "Ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, His work  is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright  is He." Deut 32

Most likely they were singing songs of praise they learned from Isaiah, "O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; for You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness" Isaiah 25:1. And they would have sang, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For You created all things, and they exist because You created what You pleased” Revelation 4:11.

Since all the prisoners were 'listening' to them perhaps they were shouting joyfully like King David taught them to do in Psalm 100. "Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation" Psalm 100.

Paul would have memorized all the Torah since he was a Pharisee that personally encountered the One True and Living God, Jesus Christ. He would have known how to praise God as Nehemiah did, "Arise, bless the LORD your God forever and ever! O may Your glorious name be blessed and exalted above all blessing and praise!Nehemiah 9:5Could they have been singing the songs of David? "Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name; worship the LORD in holy array" Psalm 29:2. "I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the LORD; the humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together" Psalm 34:1-3.

"Let them praise Your great and awesome name; Holy is He"  Psalm 99:3.Paul and Silas lived a lifestyle of prayer and praise. They knew first-hand the power of both prayer and praise but especially praise. I believe they "continually offered up a sacrifice of praise to God" as the "fruit of their lips" that "gave thanks to His name" Hebrews 13:15. I believe Paul, and the other disciples, continuously "Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand" Psalm 149:6.

Surely they lived with a praise in their heart like King David. "Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things He does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies" Psalm 103:1-4. "Because Your love is better than life, I will praise You. I will praise You as long as I live. I will lift up my hands in prayer to Your name. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to You; Your strong right hand holds me securely" Psalm 63:3–4, 7–8. "Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?" Exodus 15:11. "He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen:" Deuteronomy 10:21.

"Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting." 2 Chronicles 7:3.I can hear them quoting and singing the Psalms, making merry in their hearts, "Exalt the LORD our God and worship at His holy hill, for holy is the LORD our God" Psalm 99:9. "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name" Psalm 103:1. "I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts"  Psalm 145:1-4.

And still they praised on, pressing in singing, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting. And let all the people say, "Amen." Praise the LORD!" Psalm 106:47-48. "Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; praise Him, O servants of the LORD, you who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God! Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely" Psalm 135:1-3.

And they continued to worship and exalt the God of all creation, "Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, highest heavens, and the waters that are above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He commanded and they were created" Psalm 148:1-5.

And they would worship the Lord Jesus Christ, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing" Rev 5:12. "Now to Him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen" Ephesians 3:20–21.

'Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever.' Amen ... Revelation 7:12. They prayed, praised, and worshiped the Lord and the power of the Holy ONE, the manifested supernatural presence of the Lord God Almighty was so strong in that prison it caused the prison to quake, the iron doors to swing wide open, the chains to fall off every prisoner immediately setting the captives free. Praise and worship still sets captives free, still opens prison doors, still destroys chains of bondage and it still ushers in the manifested presence of the ONE WHO IS BEING PRAISED. Tap into the supernatural power of praise in your life and see what happens.

Get your praise on!

Cindy Hyde, MA
January 24, 2018
cindyhyde.com
@cindyhyde
Facebook.com/cindylhyde
easttexashealingcenter.org
​cindylhyde@gmail.com

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