Women | by Jackie Garner
Friday, June 25, 2010
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Pastor Joel Osteen often reminds us that praise precedes the victory. One Sunday after hearing this, the Lord led me to ask Him, “Why is praise so important?” “Why does the devil do everything he can to stop us from praising God in the midst of our battles?” Read Psalms 8:2, “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” Did you see that? Praise is ordained to silence our enemy!
Ordain means to set in place, to establish, to appoint and to decree. God established praise as a weapon to be used to silence our enemy and He appointed us (His children) to be the instruments used. This scripture also uses the word infants; that tells me that even the weakest, smallest instruments are ordained by God to praise and silence the enemy. You don’t have to be a great Bible scholar or a “seasoned” Christian; you can be an infant in your faith and your praise is still powerful!
When we praise God even when we don’t feel like it (at our weakest moments in battle), the enemy is silenced. Even the word “silence” in this scripture means to take a Sabbath rest in the original Hebrew. The enemy has to take a rest from attacking us when we praise God!
The enemy knows this truth which is why he does everything in his power to silence us from praising God. If he can control our thoughts and keep us stuck in a negative thought pattern, stuck in a rut of offense or in the pain of a hurt - he has won. If the enemy silences us from praising God he can hold us back from everything God has for us; victory, joy, hope, blessings and even love.
When we praise God, He goes forth to accomplish whatever we are praising Him for and the enemy is forced to stand back and watch our victory! Praise precedes the victory! So praise God in all things and at all times and open the floodgate to your blessings!