ICS Daily Devotions
Victory Through Your Praise
Act 16:25-26 And toward midnight Paul and Silas prayed and praised God in a hymn. And the prisoners listened to them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds were loosened.
While many would cry out to God in the midnight hours of their distress, Paul and Silas chose to pray and praise God instead while being locked up in an inner prison, the darkest and most secluded part of the prison cell. They were praising God so loud that even other prisoners could hear them.
The situation may have seemed like a set back for Paul and Silas who got beaten up, thrown into jail and suffered agonizing pain. They must have been in pain from the whipping on their backs. They should have felt angry, disappointed, depressed or have moaned, complained or cried but they were not. Instead they had a positive attitude.
Deliverance then came immediately while they were praising God; it didn’t happen while they were complaining and blaming God for bringing them into this situation in the first place. God heard their praises and literally shook the prison house with an earthquake and immediately the doors miraculously opened and their shackles were loosened. God orchestrated their escape leading them to leave from the inside of the cell and the roof did not collapse on them; they were safely led out of prison. Paul and Silas were walking in the will of God, therefore God blessed and protected them. The battle is not ours, but God’s!
If the breakthrough does not come immediately after we praise and worship God, we need to stay focused so that the Lord can infuse grace into our hearts in those difficult moments. The Bible tells us that it is through faith and patience that we inherit the promises of God. It is through praise and worship that we are able to keep our focus on God, His almightiness and His faithfulness that will help us to be patient.
Vibrant praise is a declaration of faith in God. It is singing out of our hearts conviction regarding the God whom we worship! It is placing our faith in the maker of heaven and earth. It reminds us that He is the maker of all flesh and there is nothing too difficult for Him. We are also reminded that His love for us will never change and nothing in this world will ever separate us from His love. We sing out of our conviction of who God is! We are singing of His goodness, faithfulness and victory. And the enemy flees when he hears our praises to God.
The intentional vibrant praise helps us to shift our soul where the mind is distracted by the circumstances and the challenges in life and gets us to focus on God who is faithful, powerful and righteous! We celebrate His victory and sing of His goodness. It is a powerful reminder for ourselves. It is also a choice for us to choose to praise God than allow the devil to steal our joy and peace in our hearts. We need to intentionally praise Him until our soul is ready to worship Him. The spirit of worship will come into our hearts when our soul is refocused on God.
John 4:23(NKJV) “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
Worship is the act of paying honor to God. It is a feeling and expression of high adoration, love and reliance to God. It is a privilege that we have a direct link to God now. It is an unbroken link to the Father so our worship is spirit to Spirit. Let your praises bring God’s power down to change and shake your situation, and break the chains to set you free from bondage. Proclaim victory through your praise!
Sermon Series: Stuck Between the Rock and a Hard Place