Power in Praise
Music has been employed in battle for centuries, sometimes to intimidate the enemy and other times to encourage combatants, or even to assist in the organization and timing of actions in warfare. Successful kings, generals, and commanders across history knew the effect music would have on their battles, for both offensive and defensive strategies. In early warfare, the enemy would often target the musicians in order to obstruct the plans, communication, and morale of their opponents. (Teach all your bassists to duck and cover. They’re stereotypically the least agile!)
Music has power. But this is no human invention. Music has God’s fingerprints all over it!
God instructs, encourages, and even commands praise, worship, and singing more times than most would care to count throughout Scripture. Check out Psalm 96:1, 1 Chronicles 16:23, and Colossians 3:16, just to name a few. And if we know our Bibles, we know that God is not trying to satisfy some petty, insecure, or needy nature within himself when he commands praise. Those words have no place in describing the triune God of the Bible, who has been perfect, whole, and sufficient for all eternity.
So, why does he care so much about worship? Could it be that praise is primarily for our benefit, because he loves and cares for us? You might have guessed that the answer to that rhetorical question is yes. Let’s look at some examples in Scripture that point to this idea ...
Praise is a powerful weapon for our benefit against spiritual warfare - 1 Samuel 16:23
Praise is a powerful weapon for personal and corporate breakthrough - Joshua 6:20
Praise has the power to lift and encourage us - Psalm 42:5
Praise is a vehicle for experiencing the presence of the all-powerful God - Psalm 22:3
Praise is where we experience our most foundational and fundamental purpose in life - Isaiah 43:21
One person who knows the power of praise better than anyone on earth is the Father of Lies, Satan himself. The enemy of our souls cowers at the sight of a church full of vibrant faith-filled praise, because where there’s robust, authentic praise, there is also robust, authentic faith! And faith is catastrophic to the plans of the enemy.
What is our response to the spiritual battles surrounding our churches right now? What action will we take when we’re in desperate need of a breakthrough in our lives or in the lives of those around us? What is our chief weapon against the unrest or discouragement we face? How do we keep our faith burning bright through the drought or the flood? How do keep our souls hungry and thirsty for more of God’s presence?
Let the answer be PRAISE, for there is power in our praise! Our praise affects us and it affects the environment around us. Let’s shout to every storm in life, “Hallelujah!”
Jordan and a team of musicians, songwriters, and engineers from Confluence churches released Confluence Worship last year. You can purchase the album and access free chord charts and lyrics here. Or, look for it on Spotify, Apple Music, or your favorite music streaming service.
