Today, I want to encourage all of you who may be walking through something that you are having to praise your way through. Some of you may be needing a miracle healing or maybe you're walking through a tragedy or a situation that feels hopeless. For those of you who may feel like your life feels more like an empty pit than a life giving well; if your river of joy is not flowing as it should; it's time to do something. When your river is dammed up bring out the dynamite! It will unstop and unclog your river so that joy can flow freely again. That dynamite is PRAISE! Praise demolishes the work of the enemy and sends confusion into his camp. What better way is there to open the dam than to use spiritual dynamite! Jesus said that His people would be endued "with power from on high" (Luke 24:49). The Greek word for "power" is dunamis, from which we get the word dynamite. Dynamite! Do you see what God has given you? He said He gave you power, or dynamite to break open the dam in your life that is blocking your joy and freedom. And when you praise Him, it proves that you know where your strength comes from. When you begin and end your day in praise, it releases freedom in your spirit and opens the windows of heaven. Instead of focusing on yourself and your problems and becoming self absorbed and self centered, praise forces your attention back to God, the very source of dunamis (Dynamite). Praise is the key to walking out a life of faith and freedom. Whenever your faith is at an all time high, you will see that praise is present. Praise and thankfulness are connected. (Col. 2:6-7). Our praise is acknowledgement that we can do nothing by ourselves, but with God, we can do anything. Praise builds our faith and strengthens us spiritually and tears down fear and doubt. Nehemiah 8:10 declares that the "joy of the Lord is your strength". Joshua understood this when he led the Israelites around the city of Jericho for the seventh time and ordered. "Shout!" for the Lord has given you the city!" If you want certain walls to crumble in our life or you need strongholds to come down, or you need a miracle today, then I say, "It's time to PRAISE!" It's time to declare freedom in our life and see past yourself and your current situation. You might feel as though life has dealt you a bad hand. It might seem like you just can't get past today, but you can! Praise will push you past your fleshly desert into a spirit realm of refreshing where you can see clearly how much God has done for you. Praise and Worship is my nerve pill! When you feel overwhelmed and anxiety tries to overtake you, turn up the worship and praise God! Soon, everything that had you down is swallowed up in the greatness of God. God inhabits the praises of His people. (Ps.22:3)
So today...bring out the dynamite...Praise power! to break down the walls of worry, fear, anxiety, and doubt and watch as God enters into your situation and fills you up to overflowing again with Faith and joy and freedom. When you declare, "I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise will continually be in my mouth" (Ps. 34:1) then God will breathe new life into you in the midst of your chaos. Praise Him and the rain of refreshing will begin to fall down and fill you up to overflowing so that you can be a well of life and refreshing to others.
(excerpt from "Dehydrated" Ch. 8 - "Get Your Praise On")
