(Some of the material for this sermon comes from the book titled, The Untapped Power of Praise, by Pastor Kenneth Hagin, Jr.)
Throughout history there has been a search by man for a cure for the ills, pains, and distresses that people face. Most often these are sought for physical ailments.
Even today, there are those that seek some kind of “cure” or relief for physical conditions and will try many things.
- The greatest cure known to mankind can be found in praising God.
The greatest deliverance known to man is within the reach of every believer on this earth—and it is found in praising God from a sincere heart of love and gratitude!
The praise cure—God’s cure—is a cure that never fails in any circumstance or situation. And it is both pleasant and effective. There are no bad side effects with this medicine.
- What’s also unusual about this cure is that as you learn how to implement it, this cure will always work for you—and there’s no charge for it!
The reason this cure is so effective and is guaranteed to bring results is that it is based on God’s Word! The praise cure was purchased and put into effect by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary when He paid for our redemption on the Cross.
But even in the Old Testament, God began teaching His children about the praise cure and its benefits. We need to look at some of the mighty exploits the children of Israel experienced as a result of praising God. The Bible says that what the Israelites experienced were examples written for our admonition and benefit (1 Cor. 10:11).
2 Chronicles 20:17, 20-25 | NKJV (17) You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.” (20) So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” (21) And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever.” (22) Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. (23) For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. (24) So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped. (25) When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much.
- The Israelites’ offensive weapon against the enemy was praise!
God could have told the Israelites to hold a prayer meeting. Or he could have given them any number of strategies. But instead, He said, “Don’t worry about the enemy. I will deliver you. Just praise Me and watch Me work”! Evidently the Lord knew something about conquering the enemy the children of Israel didn’t know.
- Praise is an effective weapon against the enemy!
The Lord knows the enemy can’t tolerate the praises of God’s people!
Psalms 22:3 | KJV (3) But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
Psalms 22:3 | AMPC (3) But You are holy, O You Who dwell in [the holy place where] the praises of Israel [are offered].
Psalms 22:3 | ERV (3) God, you are the Holy One. You sit as King upon the praises of Israel.
- Since God inhabits the praises of His people, the enemy flees at the sound of praise, because at the sound of heartfelt praise, God comes on the scene!
In her book, “Healing From Heaven,” Dr. Lilian B. Yeomans tells the story about a woman named Rosa Smith who went to China as a missionary many years ago when China was open to receiving the gospel. She then contracted smallpox. She faced dire natural circumstances: No vaccine. No cure. No hope of survival. She didn’t beg God. She didn’t pray and hope He would do something. She didn’t start a prayer chain.
In faith, she asked Him what she should do.
This is what He told her… Praise Me. Praise Me for My faithfulness to My Word. Then, He showed her a vision of an empty basket labeled “Praise.” He told her when she had filled it to the top, she would receive her healing. So—even as ill as she was—she began singing, shouting and praising the Lord. The doctors thought she was delirious and told her to be quiet, but she kept on praising. When they told her if she recovered, she would be disfigured for life, she praised louder than ever.
She shouted and sang and praised until the Lord showed her the praise basket was full and overflowing. Then, she fell asleep. When she woke up, all her symptoms had vanished, leaving no trace, not even a single scar. The world didn’t have an answer to her trouble. But God did.
Praise was the cure. Are you facing an impossible situation today? Praise is the cure. You can fill your praise basket to overflowing, forcing the troubles in your life to vanish and leave no trace of ever being there if you’ll do one thing: use the praise cure.
Here’s how you start.
- Praise God for His faithfulness to His Word
This is exactly what the Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah did.
Praise God for His faithfulness to His Word. His Word never fails. It never returns void. And He ALWAYS keeps His promises. Praise Him for it!
- Keep praising God until you break through.
Some people want to throw up one or two “Hallelujahs” and call it a day, but that’s not how praise will cure your trouble. The missionary who was healed praised until her breakthrough came.
Something happens when you move over into a spirit of praise that keeps going until you break through. There’s power in praise—that’s why Psalm 22:3 says He inhabits the praises of His people.
Some people want to praise quietly to themselves. That won’t work!
You cannot sit there with your mouth shut and expect the praise cure to work for you. There is no silent praise. You’ve got to open your mouth!
Be loud. Be bold. Give confident thanks to God. You can’t afford to be silent.
Acts 16:25-26 | NKJV (25) But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. (26) Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.
Remember…Paul and Silas were praising out loud. Their backs were bleeding; they were in pain; their hands and feet were bound. It looked like the devil had won a victory. But he made one mistake… and you can imagine Paul saying to the devil, “You’ve got my hands and feet bound, but you should’ve taped my mouth shut—because as long as I can move my mouth, I can move a mountain. As long as I can move my mouth, I have authority.”
And their praises went through that prison and up to heaven. Then the power of God came down on that sound and set them—and everyone around them—FREE.
- If you dare to lift your voice in praise, not only will it set you free; it can set those around you free, too.
Keep praising. Keep praising. Keep praising. Fill up that praise basket until it is full and overflowing!