Praise Paves the way to Victory

1... In this message we will focus on praise, I believe that praise paves the way to victory.
2... When you praise Him no matter what, thats when God can enter your situation. Thats when
He can break your chains and set you free!
Acts 16:25-26
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners
heard them.
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.
KJV
Praising in the Midnight Hour
1... We find in (Acts 16:25) And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God:
and the prisoners heard them. (Through praise, Paul and Silas paved the way to victory).
Let me give you a Now Word, praise has nothing to do with how you feel, it's about what you do.
(In a prison at midnight, Paul and Silas offered up to God a sacrifice of praise, not a feeling of
praise).
Heb 13:15
15 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.
KJV
Let Praise go First:
Jud.1:1-2
Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the Lord,
saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanities first, to fight against them?
And the Lord said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.
KJV
1... In (Jud.1:1-12) we find Israel as they are preparing for battle. They inquired of the Lord after
their leader Joshua had just died, who will be first to go up and fight for us against the
Canaanites? (The Lord tells them that Judah shall go first). Understand, they were in a battle,
their leader had just died, the feeling was not there, but yet the Lord said let Judah go first.
2... Later in (Jud.20:18) we find, Who of us shall go first to fight against the Benjamites? (The
Lord replied, Judah shall go first).
3... The Hebrew word translated as Judah is PRAISE. So the scripture could be translated as "Let
PRAISE go up first."
4... Let me give you this advise...When you are facing a struggle are a battle..."Let PRAISE go
up first."
5... Anyone can PRAISE when the battle is over. But it take faith and submission to PRAISE at
the start of the battle...
6... If the Devil can steal your praise, he has won the battle.
The Battle is not Yours:

1... The lord told Jehoshaphat in (2. Chr.20:15). Hearken YE, all Judah, and YE inhabitants of
Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, thus saith the Lord unto you. Be not afraid nor dismayed
by reason of this great multitude: for the battle is not yours, but GOD'S. (You can't praise Him in
your battle until you realize that the battle is not yours, but the Lords).
Give Birth to Praise:
1... In (Ge.29:35) we find that when Leah gave birth to Judah, it was different then the other
births. (Sometimes the trials of everyday life has a way of teaching us what to do and what not to
do).
Gen.29:35
She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "This time I will praise the
Lord," So she named him Judah. "PRAISE."
(I have come to this conclusion in life, I will be like Leah, this time I will give birth to praise).
Keep this in mind:
1... God loved JudahThere was Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, Judah's older brothers, then there
was the other 9 sons of Jacob.
2... But yet God chose Judah, and He placed His favor and blessing upon Judah. (The application
is that there is the blessings of Judah in praise).
3... The blessing of Judah is in his name, which is based on the Hebrew word Ya-dah. Which
means to worship with extended hands, to make confession, to praise, or to give thanks.
The name Judah is literally a word for praise.
What is praise?
1... Praise means "To commend, to applaud or magnify."
2... Praise to God is an expression of worship, lifting up and glorifying the Lord. It is an
expression of humbling ourselves and centering our attention upon the Lord with an heartfelt
expression of love, adoration and thanksgiving.
3... Praise is the forerunner of worship. Worship can only be done in the Spirit, praise many time
is a sacrifice.
4... Praise elevates us into Gods presence.
5... Paul and Silas knew the secret of how to lift their hearts above their troubles and how to enter
into His presence.
6... It was in this dungeon that Paul and Silas changed the atmosphere, and they became elevated
into the presence of God through praise.
Ps.22:3
O thou that inhabitest the praise of Israel.
7... In other words, "God dwells in the atmosphere of His praise."
Conclusion:
1... Some may not understand what I am about to say, but I believe that God is restoring the
tabernacle of David.
2... Look with me at (Acts 15:16).
Acts 15:16
After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David.
3... What did David do in the tabernacle? (He worship God, he praised God).
4... David told us in (Ps.100:4) to enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with
praise: be thankful and bless His name. (Alone with God rebuilding the tabernacle of David,
comes the rebuilding of the praise and worship of David).

5... So If God is restoring the tabernacle of David, according to Psalms he is restoring praise and
worship.
Fort Payne Family Worship Center.
(1/11/2015)