Last week, I posted on the power of our words; that speaking
out in faith can influence your life and circumstances. Words can even cause a change in those
circumstances. Speaking brings dominion. Today, I want to continue in this same
series, Deliverance to Dominion, with part 3.
Another aspect to dominion is praise!
Praise breaks, chains!
Acts 16:23-26 (NKJV)
16:23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.
Creating an Atmosphere Where God can Move
Praise is a powerful weapon in our stockpile of weapons,
that are mighty for the pulling down of strongholds. A stronghold is an attitude, habit, or belief
that holds you in bondage to sin. It’s a
chain that binds you and keeps you from fully entering into your calling and
your destiny. It can be sin, disease,
finances unbelief – whatever it is, it can stop God from moving in your
life. Praise allows you to develop an atmosphere
where God can move. Our text is an
example of Paul and Silas using praise to activate a move of God in their
circumstances.
What has happened is that Paul has had a vision. He saw a man from Macedonia calling out to
him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” So, Paul is engaged in the calling of
God. He concludes that the Lord had
called them, “to preach the Gospel to them.” (Acts 16:9-10) The devil attempted
to disrupt this by sending a young woman with a spirit of divination. (She was a fortune teller.) Paul rebuked the
spirit and ordered it to come out, which it did, and which caused a problem
with her masters. Paul and Silas were
arrested and put into prison.
As they sat in prison, they begin to sing and praise
God. The chains with which they were
bound were broken. The stocks that held
them were sprung open, and they are released from their bonds. The doors to the stronghold were opened!
They have created an atmosphere where God can move. If we want to see God move in our circumstances. If we want to see a miracle occur in our
lives then we must create an atmosphere in our homes where God can move! Whatever atmosphere you create will determine
what will happen in your life. You can
create an atmosphere where God can move, or you can create an atmosphere where
the enemy reigns. If you allow your home
to be filled with negativity, discord and oppression, it will be difficult to
stand in the faith.
We have to learn to counteract those things when start to be
seen in our homes. It’s so easy to complain
and gripe! But those are not “God
things.” Those things don’t create an
atmosphere of faith. There’s no optimism
and expectation of God’s moving there.
There’s only unbelief. If you
create an atmosphere for God to move, He will come!
Psalms 91:1 (NKJV)
91:1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
This is the beginning of Palm 91 – It’s the beginning of a
promise, but have you noticed that every one of God’s promises starts with a
condition? Psalm 91 starts with a
condition but ends in a promise:
Psalms 91:14-16 (NKJV)
91:14 "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation."
If we dwell in the secret place of the Almighty; we can
expect deliverance. We can expect
answers to our prayers. We can expect a
long life, and we can expect salvation.
So, what is that secret place where God dwells? It’s that place in your heart that you have
turned over to God!
Have you opened your heart to God? Let me ask that this way:
What are your priorities in life? What do you fill your free time with? Do you have a disciplined prayer life? Do you read your Bible regularly? Are you focused on “God things,” or are you
still giving most of your time and energy to the world?
Last week, I mentioned a cancer patient, I want to show you
how he created an atmosphere for God to move in his hospital room:
“Instead of watching television, we spent time reading Scripture. We listened to the Bible on audiotape around the clock, and we asked the nurses to come in at night and turn the tapes over. In other words, we turned the hospital room into a sanctuary for God to dwell in. We kept the atmosphere charged with praise.”
Source: 10 Hours to Live, Brian Wills, Whitaker House, Page 137
God Inhabits the Praise of His People
Psalms 22:3 (NKJV)
22:3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
Another way to say that is that He lives in or inhabits our
praise! Praise brings God’s presence on
the scene. This is why we praise God in
the beginning of our church services. It’s
why song service is the first thing we do; to bring God’s presence to our
services.
When Paul and Silas were in prison, they decided to sing
praises – They changed the atmosphere and God was able to move in those
circumstances. Praise causes chains to
break and walls to fall – It paralyzes the enemy!
Psalms 8:2 (NKJV)
8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
What this scripture is saying is that praising God releases
His power to stop the enemies of His people.
Our enemy is the enemy who steals, kills and destroys. Praising God activates Him in our favor!
In 2 Chronicles 20: - Judah is under attack. The enemy that had come against them was so
powerful that the Bible says that, “Jehoshaphat (the king) feared!” He called the people together to fast and
praise! Look at this:
2 Chronicles 20:21 (NKJV)
20:21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: "Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever."
We are appointed to praise God. Those appointed to praise went out before the
army. They praised God and His holiness,
that was their only part in all of this.
Look what happened as they praised:
2 Chronicles 20:22 (NKJV)
20:22 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.
Judah’s army never lifted a weapon against the enemies. They did nothing but stand and praise God,
and God moved to destroy their enemy.
Look at the Scripture: “Now the people began to sing and praise. The Lord set ambushes against the [enemies].”It
was the praise that set the move of God in motion.
Are there attacks on you and your family? Is Satan trying to wear you down and cause
you to doubt God? Is he trying to make
you fear like Jehoshaphat? What’s your
reaction to problems and attacks in your life?
Is it to pull away from God, or to praise God? Which one brings you closer to God? Which one does God inhabit?
Praise is a powerful weapon!
It can be used to destroy the chains that Satan uses to keep you in a
stronghold of sin and doubt. Praise is
like a nuclear bomb – It causes the enemy to flee! There’s no nuclear fallout so you can use it
every morning!
The Joy of the Lord
Praise is a manifestation of the Joy of our salvation. If the devil can steal that from you , he can
destroy your walk with God!
You’re probably going to think what I’m about to say is
weird, because when things are getting bad you may not feel joy, but you can
begin to have joy, even in the bad times, by remembering that God moves through
your praise.
God will deliver us!
He delivered Jonah from the fish.
He delivered Meshach, Shadrack and Abednego from the fiery furnace. He delivered the entire nations of Israel out
of slavery…and He will deliver us, too.
Psalms 91:14 (NKJV) 91:14 "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
Maybe He’s helped you in the past. Know that He will help you, again!
God will answer us!
God clearly promises that when we call on Him, He will answer us!
Psalms 91:15 (NKJV)
91:15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.
God will be with us!
One of the names of Jesus is Emmanuel, “which is translated God with us.” He has said, “I will never leave you nor
forsake you.” He is always there –
always near us. He dwells inside
you. Psalm 91:15 – I will be with him in
trouble.
These are promises – God is faithful to keep promises. Remember from last week, “I will watch over my
words to perform them.” (Jeremiah 1:12) That’s a vow to keep promises. So, even when things go wrong, we can change
the atmosphere in our homes and activate a move of God by simply, the act of
Praising God!
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