“For The Battle Is Not Yours, But God’s”

   “And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping Him.”  II Chronicles 20:18 (Amp) 

  Often our biggest fear is fear of being overwhelmed by an enemy (or thing) we think is bigger than ourselves or what we can handle.
v.17 “But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem . Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!”

Read:  II Chronicles 20:20 -30

I.  Praise is a spiritual weapon  
v. 21,22      Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever
1)  Praise lifts your eyes from the battle to the victory
2)  Christ is already the victor and won the battle for us

Q.  Are there times when it is more important to praise God than to pray to Him a prayer of intercession?

Ephesians 1:20-22  the authority of Jesus Christ
Hebrews 2:8  God has put all things under His feet

*  Praise in warfare is not telling God what to do, rather believing that He knows what is the best plan for us.
Acts 16:23 -26  Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns !
Psalm 150:1-6  praise God continually and everywhere

II.  Praise is a manifestation of who God is, what He has done, and what He is going to do 
1 Peter 2:9    since we are members of the New Testament priesthood, it is our individual responsibility to praise Him

III.  How do we do this?  
*  confess all known sin in your life before coming to worship
*  invest time in prayer for the service
*  bring an offering to the Lord
*  put forth an effort and energy
*  enter wholeheartedly into praise of God

3. “Who shall go up into the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His Holy Place? 4. He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted himself up to falsehood or to what is false, nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.  Psalm 24:3-5  (Amp)