It’s amazing what Praise can do!

By Doug Pierce

“And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and  said, O LORD God of  Israel, which dwellest between the cherubim, Thou art the God, even Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; Thou hast made heaven and earth.” 2 Kings 19:15 

IT’S AMAZING WHAT PRAISING CAN DO! 

 It was a very frightening time for the nation of Judah. Assyria, the military world super power of that day, was just about ready to turn the lights out on Judah. Their powerful army was closing in fast and things were looking bleak and hopeless for King Hezekiah and his nation. It looked like this godly king and his people were finished. It would take an act of God or it was over. That’s when King Hezekiah did what any of us would do in such a situation . . . he went to the Lord in prayer. But, unlike the way we are so much of the time, Hezekiah began his prayer with praise. 

Think about that! In the midst of the dire circumstances he was in, He took time to praise God for who He was and what He had done in the past. Did God answer this simple but heartfelt prayer of praise in our verse for today? Boy, did He! God sent just one of His mighty angels and slew 185,000 Assyrian soldiers overnight! Our God is an awesome God! Amen?!

WHY IS PRAISE SO IMPORTANT? 

Did you know the Bible places more emphasis on praise than it does prayer? It’s true. You’ll find more verses of Scripture that encourage you to praise the Lord than you will find verses of Scripture that invite you to call upon the Lord in prayer. And in this example prayer of this godly king, we find him offering praise to the Lord before he petitions the Lord for help. This great king understood the importance of praise. His prayer reminds us why praise is so vitally important:

1. Praise brings God’s presence near. The Bible says that God inhabits (comes close) the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). Praise blesses God. Praise tells God that you believe in Him. Praise tells Him that you know He is able, more than able to handle any situation. Praise is faith turned inside out. Praise is a byproduct of faith. When you praise the Lord in the midst of difficulties, you are offering a prayer of praise to the Lord just like  Jeremiah did when he looked to the Lord and cried, “Ah Lord GOD! behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee” (Jer. 32:17). God really likes that!
2. Praise brings the proper perspective to the battles we face. Hezekiah reminded himself in his prayer that God was and is the only God AND the creator God. Now Assyria was mighty, but God is Almighty. Assyria was powerful, but God is ALL powerful. As great as Assyria was at that time, they did not have the power to make heaven and earth. But the God of Israel did. And remember how He did it . . . simply by the power of His Word. Listen, if God can just open His mouth and speak the world into existence, He can surely handle any enemy, any circumstance, any problem that threatens us! Amen?!

HOW ‘BOUT YOU?

While all of us face difficulties and problems throughout life, some of you can easily identify with the hopeless situation facing Hezekiah. Right now, it could be that you’re suffering from a serious physical problem. Maybe you were recently diagnosed with cancer. Perhaps you’re facing major surgery. Maybe you’ve been laid off from work or there’s been a death of a loved one. You could have recently gone through a divorce. It could be the nagging problems of old age. Today you find yourself totally overwhelmed, fenced in and on the verge of just giving up. 

What should you do? Try offering up a prayer of praise! When Hezekiah praised, he got the right perspective. To praise God in the face of dire circumstances is a wonderful expression of faith. And nothing pleases God more than faith (Hebrews 11:6). Hezekiah was telling God that He was greater than the problem he faced. As he made his request for God to deliver, He delivered. Judah won a great victory because God fought the battle for them and defeated their enemies! 

Start praising the Lord today for the fact that He is THE LORD God and He alone is able! 

Remember what Jesus did for the disciples in a storm and know that He’ll do the same for you! The God who spoke the world into existence can surely speak to your storm and calm it with His powerful word (See Mark 4:39). 

That’s God’s timely Word for you today. Give God praise and trust Him! It’s truly amazing what praising can do! 

Think it over!

Doug Pierce is a Church planter and a pastor. In 2003 he started, and continues to pastor First Independent Methodist Church in Madison, Mississippi. His #1 priority is to glorify God in all aspects of ministry. He does this through teaching his congregation to Love God, Love One Another, and Love Others to God. Prayer, outreach, and church growth through evangelism are vital parts of his ministry. He and his wife Suzanne live in Madison, Mississippi where they also enjoy their children and grandchildren. To find out more about Doug‘s ministry visit the FIMC Website

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