The greatest threat to the kingdom is the silence of the lambs. Lift up your voice!

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Matthew 11:12

…the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16b

The quickest way to dispel darkness is to turn up the light…so turn up Jesus! When darkness seems to be consuming the world in which we live, Christians need to crank up Jesus!

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 11:9

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:5

If every Christian in America would realize that praise ambushes our enemies, I’m convinced that every church in America would be transformed! We are a nation at war (spiritually and in the natural.) Praise is a war strategy!

And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. 2 Chronicles 20:22

It was a victory shout that brought down the walls of Jericho.

So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. Joshua 6:20

As a cheerleader in high school, I jumped, screamed and shouted more to praise and encourage a basketball team than 95% of Christians do for Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith! We stand out of respect when the President walks into a room while bands blare “Hail to the Chief” yet many Christians won’t stand to sing a praise to the King of Kings! People scream until their throats are raw for sports teams yet are appalled at the thought of shouting unto God with the voice of triumph. Doesn’t make good sense. If you want to see what real joy and praise looks like, just tell a 6 yr old they’re going to Disney World. They jump, throw their hands in the air, scream, shout and even cry yet somehow Christians are able to contain joy unspeakable! It may be joy unspeakable but it’s not unpraisable! When words fail, get your praise on! God receives praise loud and clear! Praise isn’t just having good thoughts about and towards God in our hearts. Praise is mouth AND motion.

O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. Psalm 47:1

I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1b

Should Christians be forced to praise? That’s impossible! There is no such thing as a forced praise! Praise is a free will offering. No one can make you do it. On the flip, when you know what God has brought you out of and into, no one on earth can make you stop praising Him!

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. 1 Peter 2:9

Some feel that actual (aloud and visible) praise is not important because the love of Christ is in their hearts. That’s fantastic! If it really is in our hearts, it will come out of our mouths!

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Matthew 12:34

The one leper who came back to offer praise was made whole. Healing is great but wholeness is greater! Our nation needs more than a healing…we need to be whole again! That will not happen outside of praise! Consequently, it’s real easy to sit back and say yay and amen but what are we as individual Christians doing about it? How are we to expect the nation as a whole to praise rather than eschew God when the majority of churches are silent week after week? If your church isn’t a praising church…make it one! If doing so isn’t accepted in your church, you’re in the wrong church! Praise is not an option…it’s a reflex, a natural outflow from a thankful heart! I say it’s time to let Judah go up first!

And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first. Judges 20:18

The praise is in the front! (2 Chronicles Chapter 20)

Related Post: The Right Appetite: Fruit of Praise (Pt1)