2 Chronicles 20:17  ‘Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.’

•           DAILY READING           2 John 1; Ezra 5-6; Psalm 93

Charles Wesley was the younger brother of John Wesley, who is the founder of the Methodist denomination. Though less famous than his brother, Charles established his own legacy as the author of some of the most memorable and lasting hymns of the church. He wrote over 8,989 hymns, and some of them include “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing,” “O for a Thousand Tongues,” “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” and “Jesus, Lover of My Soul.”

Charles was born prematurely in 1707 as the eighteenth of nineteen children born to Samuel and Susannah Wesley. Only ten of those children lived to adulthood. Charles almost didn’t survive, because as an infant, he lay ill for weeks, wrapped in a wool blanket. But God’s hand was upon him, and he survived. As he grew up, Charles, along with his brothers and sisters, were daily taught Greek, Latin, and French by their mother Susannah Wesley.

Later on, Charles and his brother John went to school at Oxford university. Though they came from a Christian family, and their father was an Anglican minister, yet they were not born again. After graduation, Charles and John were ordained into the ministry, and they set out to evangelize the colony of Georgia in America. But this venture pummeled them with such overwhelming opposition and pain, that they returned defeated. On their return, Charles dove more deeply into the Scriptures seeking to know God personally. At last, he got born again on May 21, 1738. And the very next day he wrote his first hymn  “O for a Thousand Tongues,” which became famous afterwards. He would go on to write many more spiritual songs that has blessed many people ever since.

It is indeed interesting to note that just a day after his conversion Charles wrote a powerful hymn that has continued to affect many lives. The truth is that at whatever level we are spiritually we should be able to give God worthy praise.

Psalm says 8:2 says ‘Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger’

Quoting this verse, Jesus said in Mathew 21:16  ‘Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?’

Indeed God has put strength in our mouth and it is the power of praise.  Even if you are a spiritual babe or suckling through praise you can always stop the enemy and the avenger.

In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat admitted that he had no strength to face the mighty army coming against him. Then God showed him what to do, and when he engaged the power of praise, he secured his victory. God told him in 2 Chronicles 20:17  ‘Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you,.’

And God is saying the same thing to us today. If the battle you are faced with seems too much for you, hand it over to God through praise. Praise will cause God to fight on your behalf.

Indeed praise is our covenant technique for easy victory. It is not just a preparatory thing you do before prayers, it has a force of its own and is a formidable tool in the working of miracles.  You may pray amiss, but you cannot praise amiss. Each time we raise our voice in praise God’s Presence is engaged for our deliverance.  The two most profound miracles in Jesus’ ministry were as a result of praise.When Jesus fed 5,000 men in the wilderness, and when He raised Lazarus from the grave, He engaged the force of thanksgiving. Therefore whatever miracle you desire today, you can have it through praise. Just take the time to appreciate God for His mercies in your life. Let what the enemy meant to cause you pain, be the very reason why you praise God. Bless God for His faithfulness. Bless Him for keeping you alive despite the valley of the shadow of death you had to walk through. And as you praise God today, no matter how great the battle, God will surely give you the victory.

PRAYER: Lord, I Thank You for granting me the grace to praise You always. I know that even now You are doing for me exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond all I could ever ask or imagine in Jesus Name.

QUOTE

Praise is proof that you believe God to do what He said, He would do in your life, – WORDBITE 201.