Day 5: Power in our Praise!

As followers of Jesus, we have been given powerful tools directly from the heart of God to sustain and empower us as we journey through this life with the Lord. There is power in fasting and praise, and when we get a hold of God’s heart for us, we can live lives of unspeakable joy and purpose. In Psalm 68:1-10, we see the example of a God who is a constant refuge, father to the fatherless, and protector of widows. When we offer up the parched land of our lives and the desert places of our hearts, we are met with a God who lavishes us with undeserved blessings.

One of the key things we see in Psalm 68:1-10 is that when we are righteous, obedient, and honorable to God, He not only protects and defends but also overwhelms us with joy. When we allow ourselves to take the next bold step of righteousness and we prioritize fasting, prayer, and praise, those blessings from the Lord are amplified. God’s character is further revealed to us in ways we often don’t experience otherwise. God sacrificed everything on the cross. When we honor Him with personal sacrifice, we are met with wisdom, supernatural strength, and knowledge that transcends earthly understanding. We also see in 2 Chronicles 20:20-21 how a corporate fast brings a deeper sense of community and an unstoppable unity that reveals supernatural breakthroughs. When we, the body, are in one accord and committed to offering our sacrifice through humble prayer and fasting, our faith, trust, and hope in God grows as a people and inspires us with boldness and certainty from the Lord.

When we strip away earthly comforts, it heightens our sensitivity to the Spirit and allows us to focus on God’s voice. As the body of Christ, we desperately need this deeper connection with the Spirit as we move into the fall of 2022. God truly delights in our praise, and it’s oftentimes more for our benefit than we even realize. It transforms us into bold, joyful warriors of God with a Kingdom perspective that can’t be shaken. Praise should be a constant theme in our daily lives, just as in the Psalms. Psalm 34:1 says, “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” When we start our days with praise, we live lives full of jubilant joy, even in times of hardship.

Church, our prayer target today is that we would press on to march boldly this year with the weapons of praise and fasting and see the glory of God revealed in our lives and in unimaginable ways.

2 Chronicles 20:20-21-And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” 21 And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,

Psalm 107:1- “Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.”