Praise and Breakthrough

August 27, 2012

Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonders. Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad. Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually. Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done, His marvels and the judgments from His mouth. 1 Chronicles 16:8-12

When Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, was afraid he sought the Lord (2 Chronicles 20:3). When we see an alarming situation or a terrible circumstance, our minds want to fixate on it instead of turning our attention to seek the Lord. But as we worship God, breakthrough happens. Like He did for the people of Judah, God will set up ambushes against your enemy (2 Chronicles 20:22).

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4, 6-7

What do you do when you feel discouraged? You can choose to wear the spirit of heaviness, or you can throw that off and put on a garment of praise (Isaiah 61:3). You may have been bombarded again and again in the same area. Your battle may have intensified exponentially in recent days. But instead of being overcome by your circumstances, you can actually sing, pray, and worship your way to victory.

But the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. Daniel 11:32b NKJV

Praise and worship remind us how faithful our God is. As you draw near to God, strength comes into your spirit. When you praise and worship God, darkness is pushed back, anxiety dissipates, and things change. Remember: you can face whatever it is you’re dealing with—because the battle is not yours but the Lord’s (2 Chronicles 20:17) and He will bring the breakthrough!

“Praise is the best auxiliary to prayer. He who most bears in mind what has been done for him by God will be most emboldened to ask for fresh gifts from above.” — Henry Melvill

God bless you,
Pastor Jeff

Copyright © 2012 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.