Fwd: Empowered by Your Praise

and he said, "Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. You [need] not fight in this [battle]; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you."  2 Chronicles 20:15-17

I know I haven't written in a very long time.  And my heart and soul have cried out for me to do so...it gives me great peace and encouragement to put down in words how great God is and what He is doing in my life.  But honestly, I could not find the strength to do so, between distractions inflicted on me by my studies and the heaviness of the pains caused by life's betrayals.  But now I know it's time to return to one of my first loves.  And I've missed it.

When you are in the midst of a battle, it may be far from your mind and heart to give God praise.  I know, because I have been there.  Just left that place Friday evening.  My heart was too broken and battered to find the courage to do it.  I couldn't even concentrate to say thank you God.  My spirit was weary and my soul could only cry, heck I could only cry.  I felt so bamboozled, so betrayed and so broken because I was caught off guard.  True indeed, I knew the enemy was coming for me because of a prophecy I had received last year.  I knew he was coming because I was teaching bible study on Spiritual Warfare and giving away secrets (the secret that isn't a secret--we are to walk in love towards all, even those that hurt us and in doing this we defeat the enemy).  I knew it; I had already been praying about the two things that I felt were going to be sources of attack.  But when they arrived, both in the same time span, I was distraught.  And I did what I learned to do, I turned to my Father in prayer, alone, as I had always done.

After I went to sleep Friday night, I had purposed in my heart that I would praise God.  I would listen to songs of praise and victory continually and continue to sing praises to my God.  I knew He would deliver me, I had faith in the answers I had received in prayer and I decided I would get over it by praising God.  I even decided I would listen to praise and victory songs specifically all week.  Now as I write, I'm going to add reciting the Psalms of praise and worship to my attack plan.  Why do this?  I am reminded of King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20.

At this time, the Ammonites, Moabites, and the men of Seir all rose against the people of Judah and King Jehoshaphat.  He prayed a powerful prayer reminding God of all He had done for them in the past and rested in the fact that God would deliver them.  God sent a prophet to let Jehoshaphat know that they would not need to fight, but to simply stand and watch as God fought the battle for them.

In my 40 day fast at the beginning of the year, this was one of the scriptures I confessed for myself and my family and friend for the different things I was fasting about.  And I am brought to tears now as I write about this.  I may not see the results right this minute, but I will keep praising God because I know this is not a battle I need to fight.  Everything that is mine I will have and everything that has been set aside for me I will claim.  God will get the victory here and I trust and believe He is faithful.  

God promised to give us a spirit of praise for the garment/spirit of heaviness...and if you will simply receive it you can continue to walk in the joy of the Lord.  Let God fight for you and praise Him like Jehoshaphat did!  I know I am!  Love you all!

After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
"Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever."  22As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

2 Chronicles 20:21-23 NIV