I once heard Joyce Meyers say that when we raise our hands in worship, we slap demons in the face. I have to admit that the next time I raised my hands in praise, I wondered how many demons I took out :). With our worship we make war on the devil. Praise reveals God’s presence as well as to repel the presence of the enemy.
When I drive to work in the mornings, I almost always have Hillsong on Pandora, or lately it’s been Travis Cottrell’s “When the Stars Burn Down.” For twenty minutes, I have time to praise and worship the Lord. It’s an awesome way to start my day! I used to feel somewhat guilty because I thought I should be using that time to pray. But the more I have learned about praise and worship, the more I understand just how much I need those twenty minutes.
Praise can release stress and anxiety. Turn on some good gospel music when cleaning or put your headphones on while grocery shopping, and see how it can change your mood while having to do those dreaded chores. Even better, simply find time throughout the day to say or sing a song of praise to God, no matter where you are or what you are doing.
Praise sets an atmosphere for our hearing from God, as well as to release His generosity. When we praise and worship the Lord, telling Him how much we love Him and how great He is, He is likely to give us our desires, sometimes even before we ask. “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24 NIV).
King David knew the power of praise to defeat the enemy. Psalm 149:6 says, “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.” Praise can shake the foundation of our prison and loose the bands that hold us captive. Israel shouted in praise and victory even before they possessed the victory over the city of Jericho
So why not take time out to worship Him today and send the enemy fleeing!
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