PRECEPTS FROM THE WORD PRAISE BRINGS VICTORY Conrad DeFriese Welcome to Precepts from the Word. I m Conrad DeFriese. Romans, chapter 10 and verse 17, says, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. The title of my Bible teaching is Praise Brings Victory. I believe as you hear the Word of God concerning praise that God will show you how you can praise Him and stand upon His promises to receive the victory that He has for you to meet your every need. I am going to give you several examples in the Word how people took the promise of God, believed it and began to praise Him until the victory came. In the book of Joshua, chapter 6, is where God has promised the children of Israel the city of Jericho. This city has a great wall around it, and it looks impossible for Israel to take the city. You may be facing enemies in your life that look impossible as to how to win the victory. I want you to notice in the Word how God gives a promise and, then, as they believe the promise and praise Him for the victory, God fights the battle and brings the victory. PRAISE BRINGS VICTORY 1
God told the children of Israel to march around the walls of Jericho for seven days -- once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day. He told them to have the priests blow the trumpets and to take the Ark of the Covenant with them. They were to keep their eyes and thoughts upon the Word of God concerning His promise. They were instructed not to let any noise or words come out of their mouth that would be negative against the Word and promise of God. On the seventh day after they had marched seven times, they were commanded by Joshua to shout and praise God. When they shouted and praised God, the walls of Jericho fell down flat and they went in and took the city. First of all, they had a promise from God. He told them through Joshua that He had already given them the city. God put it in the past tense. He said, I have given you Jericho, its king and mighty men of valor. I have given you the city. He then told them to march around the walls; but, not to say anything out of their mouth until Joshua tells them to shout. This is good instruction from the Word of God. If you will take the promise of God, receive it in your heart and begin to thank and praise God for it, He will give you the victory. You must be aware to not let any negative words or even sounds come out of your mouth concerning the promise of God. Some PRAISE BRINGS VICTORY 2
people say that it looks impossible to have victory in their situation. If they will take the Word of God and obey it as God has given it, they will receive the victory. Another example is in the book of Second Chronicles. The children of Judah have come up against three great armies that are much greater than themselves. God gives them a promise and instruction what to do. He tells them that they will not need to fight in this battle. He said, The battle is not yours, but it is God s. He tells them to send singers and praisers out ahead of the army and He will fight the battle. Many times people want to cry and beg and do many things to try to get the victory. That is not God s way. His way is a way of obedience. His way is to believe His promises. In Second Chronicles, chapter 20 and verse 22, it says, And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. The Bible tells us that not one escaped. It took the children of Judah three days to gather the spoil from the battle. They did not have to fight in the PRAISE BRINGS VICTORY 3
battle; but, they received the blessings from the battle. Obeying God is the way to victory. Praise is one of those great avenues to get victory. Another example is in the book of Jonah. Jonah had disobeyed God and went opposite to what God had told him. He ended up in the belly of a whale down deep in the ocean. Everything was dark. It looked like his life was over with; however, as he began to think about, believe and receive the Word of God, he began to give thanksgiving and praise to Him. In the book of Jonah, chapter 2 and verse 9, it says, But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. Jonah was in his darkest hour facing certain death. He was living a life of disobedience; however, when he began to meditate on the Word of God, believe it in his heart and praise God for it, victory came. Another example is in the book of Acts. Paul and Silas were preaching the gospel. They were obeying God and doing what He told them; however, they ended up in prison chained between Roman soldiers. They were at the PRAISE BRINGS VICTORY 4
midnight hour. Their backs were bleeding because they had been beaten with many stripes. Instead of murmuring and complaining in their situation, instead of questioning that maybe they had missed God, they begin to sing and praise God for His promises and His Word. When they did this, God brought the victory. Acts, chapter 16, verse 25, says, And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. Verse 26, And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. You may not know what to do in your situation; but, you can begin to praise God for His promises. Take your need to Him in prayer. Take a promise of God with you when you take your need to Him. Take your need and a promise of God to Him in prayer. In prayer, believe God s promise that meets your need. Receive it by faith into your heart. From that moment on, begin to praise God that the promise is yours. PRAISE BRINGS VICTORY 5
Look with me at another example in the Scriptures. God had promised Abraham that he would have a child in his old age. This was something that was impossible in the natural. There was no way for Abraham and Sarah to have a child in their old age, but, Abraham looked at the promise of God. Through praise and thanksgiving, he grew stronger and stronger in faith until the promise came to pass. I want to encourage you today to get your attention off of your circumstances. Get your attention off of the negative things that people are saying. Focus your attention upon the promises of God. The Word of God is alive and full of power. It is up to you through faith to activate the power that is in the Word of God. Praise is faith in action! In the Amplified Bible, Romans, chapter 4 and verse 30, says, No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God. The same thing will happen in your life. As you stagger not at the promise of God and begin to praise Him for it, your faith will grow and be empowered. PRAISE BRINGS VICTORY 6
As you put your attention upon God s Word, He will bring it to pass in your life. You must not talk about things that are negative concerning the promise of God. You must not look at natural circumstances that are contrary to the Word of God. Your attention and focus must be totally upon His Word and promises. In the book of Psalms, chapter 100 and verse 4, it says, Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. The way you come to God, even before you receive the answer, is with praise and thanksgiving. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving. Enter into His courts and into His presence with praise and thanksgiving. Why are you praising Him before you get the answer? Because you know that God is faithful to keep His Word. God inhabits (dwells and lives) where people are praising Him. Psalms, chapter 22 and verse 3, says, But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. PRAISE BRINGS VICTORY 7
Praise brings God on the scene. Hebrews, chapter 13 and verse 15, says, By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Praise is a weapon of warfare for the believer. It is one of the greatest keys that you can have to obtaining the promises of God. Let praise become a part of your life. Get into praise and thanksgiving for the promises of God. Don t fight the devil. Praise God for His promises. Take the offensive weapon of praise to the enemy. Let praise be continually in your mouth concerning God s promises. As you get your mind and heart upon the promises of God, your faith will grow and grow and grow until He will give you the victory. Praise is faith in action! I, again, encourage you today to get into praising God for His promises. Find a promise that meets your need and believe it in your heart. Stand upon it and refuse to turn it loose. Take fast hold of it with a grip that will not turn that promise loose. As you hold to the Word of God, that gives God something to work with. As you praise Him for His promise, that puts your faith into action. PRAISE BRINGS VICTORY 8
Faith must have some kind of action. Without some type of action, faith is dead, inoperative and powerless. Praise will release your faith. It will cause your faith to go to work and bring the promises of God into your life. Heavenly Father, I pray for everyone listening to this Bible teaching today on praise. Open their hearts and minds to receive exactly what the Holy Spirit has for them. Bring to their remembrance the Words of God because these are not man s words, these are God s Words. It is God s will to meet every need according to His Word. Praise is a golden key to receiving the promises of God. Amen. God bless you. PRAISE BRINGS VICTORY 9