Recognize that though we pray according to God’s will and receive in faith, we must recognize that praise is the spiritual signature required to take delivery of our answered prayer parcels. When we pray, God answers; but when we praise, He steps in with all His power and might.This is why we can praise our way out of every valley into the high places of life. Therefore, it is not enough for us to believe, we must also engage in fervent praise to harvest answers to our fervent prayers (Psalms 47:5-7, 67:6; Habakkuk 3:17-19; Acts 16:25-30).
Moreover, thanksgiving and praise constitute the spiritual live wire of our prayer life. This is because we secure access in prayers through praise and also take delivery of answers through same. That is what qualifies praise to be the covenant sickle of harvest for answered prayers (Psalm 100:4; Philippians 4:6; Joel 3:13).
For instance, when Jesus got to the tomb of Lazarus, He turned on the key of praise to take delivery and said, “…Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.” Thereafter, He called forth Lazarus and the Bible records, “And he that was dead came forth…” (John 11:41-44).
BUT, WHAT IS IN PRAISE?
- Praise is a mountain-moving force: We must recognize that even though God has released certain blessings to us, they are being contested by the enemy (Deut. 2:24; 1 Cor. 16:9). For instance, when Daniel waited on the Lord in a fast for 21 days, the Bible records that the answer was dispatched on the first day; however, the prince of Persia withstood the delivery until help came from heaven (Daniel 10:12-13).
Let us understand that there are resistances that we must contend with, before we can possess and take delivery of answers to our prayers. One of the ways through which we clear these resistances is through the medium of mountain-moving praise. This is not casual praise, but warfare praise.
Let us examine some scriptural examples that qualify praise as a mountain-moving force.
•When Judah was confronted by terrible enemies, they prayed and fasted. Then, God instructed them to appoint singers and they sang to the warfront. When they began to sing and praise God, God set ambushments against their enemies and they were all smitten (2 Chronicles 20:22-23).
High praise is the medium through which we provoke help from above, to level out the barriers on our path. Furthermore, we understand from scriptures that when praise is perfected, our enemies are silenced. Thus, it is wisdom to engage the potent weapon of praise (Matthew 21:16).
•When the wall of Jericho stood as a barrier against the children of Israel, the sickle of praise levelled that wall and they conquered (Joshua 6:20).
•When the Israelites sang their way out of Egypt, God’s presence was in their midst and it cleared every barrier off their way. For instance, when they were confronted with the barrier of the Red Sea on their way to the Promised Land, it parted at their appearance. Even the mountains and the hills gave way to them.
It is important to understand that God dwells in the praises of His people and we invoke divine presence through praise, which clears off every barrier on our path (Exodus 15:1-5; Psalm 114). However, we discovered from scriptures that God’s Word is a major facilitator of praise (Jer.15:16; See also Psalm 56:10).
We must recognize that revelation of the Word stimulates joy and that joy springs forth praise. That is why people who walk in revelation are ever joyful, because praise focuses on the efficacy of what is written and not what is happening.
Shalom.
