The Power of Praise

Recently, I experienced daily times of praise and worship in an Ellel Ministries Centre which were so special and anointed. Everyone felt free to express themselves as the Holy Spirit led. It was like experiencing God’s Kingdom here on earth. So, I have been thinking about some things that Jesus said about praise.

We read in the Gospel of Matthew how ‘they brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” (Matthew 21:7-9).

But Luke gives us some extra details about that day. ‘When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’ ‘I tell you,’ he replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out’ (Luke 19:37-40).

It was the will of God the Father that praise would be given for the miracles that Jesus had done. If Jesus forced His followers to be silent, praise and thanksgiving would have to come from another source. Jesus said the stones would cry out. Matthew tells us about the further confrontations with the religious leaders after that.

‘Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves. ‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it “a den of robbers.” The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they were indignant. ‘Do you hear what these children are saying?’ they asked him. ‘Yes,’ replied Jesus, ‘have you never read, ‘“From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise”?’ (Matthew 21:12-16).

God the Father ordained praise to come from children for His Kingdom purposes. Jesus explained that it was written in God’s word, referring to Psalm 8, where it says, “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger” (Psalms 8:1-2).

Over the years I have seen for myself, again and again, how praise is an amazing spiritual weapon against the devil, whether it is singing, shouting out loud, singing silently, or whispering the words.