TRIALS INTO THANKS;
PAIN INTO PRAISE!

In the world, you will have tribulation, trouble, afflictions, burdens… In Me [Jesus] you have peace. So, be cheerfully courageous because I have overcome the world.
~ Taken from John 16:33

The following is a continuation of Part 2.

GIVE THANKS is your defensive stance described in Part 2. Conversations with Heavenly Father from a posture of thanksgiving bring supernatural peace guarding our most critical parts – the head and heart.

To walk in conquering victory over trials, trouble, and tribulation, we not only defend with thanksgiving, but we attack with PRAISE! Praise is an offensive weapon. 

Praise reaches out to seize ground occupied by the enemy. Praise overthrows the enemy’s authority and claims possession with Kingdom authority!

OFFENSIVE ATTACK = PRAISE!

The enemy’s territory is cultivated and fertilized in bitterness, complaining, murmuring, self-centeredness, and myriads of human attitudes and behaviors outside of Jesus’ character and likeness. The devil makes his domain like his character. In Ephesians 4 we are warned that such things give a place [occupancy] to the devil (Ephesians 4:27).

In Hebrews 12:15, we are told that bitterness starts as a root. It occupies a place from which many people around us will also be contaminated by it as it grows and expands.

PRAISE takes territory back and places it under our dominion as ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.

In ancient Israel, Jehoshaphat was king. An overwhelming host of armies from surrounding nations came against Jehoshaphat and the people of Israel. As Israel was assembled to determine what to do with the threat they were facing, a Levite named Jahaziel spoke up. He encouraged Jehoshaphat to not be afraid because the battle is God’s. Jehoshaphat appointed “those who would sing to the Lord” to march in front of Israel’s army praising the beauty of holiness and singing, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.” (see 2 Chronicles 20)

The praise brought confusion and infighting to the enemy while Israel moved forward in victory taking the spoil from dead bodies they didn’t even kill!

“But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.” ~ Psalm 22:3

I love the picture the Psalmist paints in this line of his psalm. God, enthroned in the praises of His people!

Trouble is a trigger for praise! And praise releases victory!

In Acts 16:16-40, Paul and Silas deliver a slave girl from demonic possession. And what thanks did they get? When the slave girl’s master realized Paul and Silas ruined their source of profit, the two men were accused of being troublemakers. The magistrates stripped off their clothes and beat them with rods. This was a severe torture employed by the Romans to cause public humiliation and severe pain. So severe in fact that Roman law protected citizens in most cases from this method of punishment. Paul and Silas received many stripes (not limited to 40 lashes), were thrown into prison, and their feet fastened in stocks.

The punishment was a further injustice since Paul and Silas were Roman citizens and protected by law.

And how did Paul and Silas respond to the injustice, physical torture, and public humiliation? At midnight, they began PRAYING and SINGING HYMNS to GOD! PRAISE! Their praise unleashed the POWER OF GOD over the entire prison. There was a great earthquake, the foundation of the prison was shaken, all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were loosed.

Satan would have their message and testimony discredited. He was intent on disabling them from speaking the good news by humiliating them, ruining their reputation, and physically handicapping them.

When Paul and Silas began to sing to God, it stirred a heavenly force! It unleashed the power of Jesus’ Kingdom and authority on earth, specifically in that prison. When the force of God hit, the impossible transpired, turning Satan’s evil schemes on his head. Not only did he not take out Paul and Silas, but he also lost possession of the Jailer and his entire household.

The Jailer awoke at the commotion and when he realized the prison doors were open, he assumed the prisoners had escaped. To deny Rome the pleasure, the Jailer drew his sword to kill himself. Paul stopped him just in time by reassuring him they had not escaped.

The jailer needed a physical salvation since he had “failed” in his Roman duties. Falling before Paul and Silas and trembling, he asked how he could be saved. Paul and Silas told the jailer about Jesus. He brought them into his house, fed them, and washed their wounds. In great joy, the jailer and his entire household believed in God and were saved from the kingdom of darkness. Do you realize Paul and Silas went back into that prison before morning? They chose to go back into their trouble. I suspect they did this to save the jailer’s life from Rome’s execution of guards who let or aided prisoner escapes.

Paul and Silas seemed more interested in saving the jailer’s life than their own. A lot like Jesus! And in their hardship, their praises became an invitation for God to intervene.

Paul was seasoned in trouble. When he came to Jesus at the beginning, the Lord promised he would suffer. Later in life, Paul was encouraging a young disciple and summarized his suffering like this.

“…persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” ~ 2 Timothy 3:11-12

Praise advances the Kingdom of Jesus on earth. Praise releases the heavenly to bless the earthly.

“Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. Then the earth shall yield her increase…” ~ Psalm 67:5-6

The Lord was with David as he served King Saul. King Saul had made a habit of making disobedient choices based on fear and self-promotion. As a result, the demonic had license to afflict King Saul. Saul found relief from the demonic (a distressing spirit) as David played his harp. David’s music manifested the presence of God in such power as to drive the distressing spirit away from Saul. When David praised, the atmosphere was claimed by the presence of God and evil had to depart.

How might praise change the atmosphere in which you find yourself?

“And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.” ~ Psalm 27:6

Job just lost everything, including his children. Job did not charge God with wrong. Instead, he proclaimed, “…Blessed [praised] be the name of the Lord.”

Job’s willingness to praise God amid extreme tragedy gave him the supernatural ability to work through these hardships to discover and embrace a more intimate experience with God. Praise allowed Job to learn from God and come into alignment with God’s perspective and purposes. God blessed Job’s latter days more than his beginning. Satan lost again.

The pain in my back had laid me flat. The sciatic pain was so intense I could not walk. It was an attack. God had healed me years earlier and this came out of the blue. In earlier years, I would be laid up in bed for 6 – 8 weeks, requiring physical therapy and painkillers to recover from such an attack. Through a blur of pain, I wanted to yell out to God, “Why?” It was tempting to become depressed, defeated, and angry. My mind wanted to explore all the things I must have done wrong to deserve this punishment. Satan wanted me to believe I did not have value to God and since apparently, He wasn’t helping. He must not care.

But I had learned so much and determined the narrative would be different this time. I was going to thank God in the attack. Not that He gave it to me, but that He would surely redeem what Satan meant for evil against me. Friends came over and prayed for healing. My wife declared healing. I continued to thank Jesus and anticipate His great work in my body. But, nothing seemed to be improving.

During one deep exhale of pain when I normally mumbled something that sounded like “owwww” through my gritted teeth, something changed. The sound that eked out was praise! Praise to God! Oh, it was little at first. But it grew as I felt the power of God’s Spirit rising inside of me! The phrase came to mind, “pain to praise!”.

“Turn your pain into praise!” In my mind’s eye, I saw a trumpet put to my lips. Every exhale of pain was the breath and energy to blow a trumpet of praise! If Satan was going to inflict me with pain, then he better be prepared to get blasted with a breath of praise to my Jesus! I began to move more freely. I began to walk short distances. God’s voice was clear as He gave me instructions about my back and the steps I needed to take.

I was lying on the couch in pain and worshiping with some praise music. The Holy Spirit encouraged me with a whisper, “Get up and dance.”

But the pain… I stood up and slowly began dancing in worship. The pain fueled my energy to let out gasps of praise! Whaat??? The pain was subsiding. I mean… what? I was dancing!!!

I was healed! Not instantly. Praising didn’t bring an instant change in the physical realm, but it did instantly change my spiritual stance. And from an attack posture, my perspective and attitude were pressed into alignment with Jesus, the Conqueror! In that moment of praise on my lips, victory was secured. Satan wanted me to doubt and dismay. Praise turned it on his head as I was not only healed but others became partakers and witnesses of the process and were strengthened in their faith. More ground was gained for Jesus’ kingdom! Hallelujah!

Trouble is a trigger for praise! And praise releases victory!

We were on the brink of losing everything we had worked for: the 20 Pacific Northwest acres, 5,000 sq. ft. log house overlooking the lake, the indoor swimming pool, and log guest cabin. Years of investment and sacrifice in preparing a place of ministry… and it was slipping out of our hands.

The stress each day was excruciating and maddening. The Lord has recently healed my 1-year relational crisis with Him. But our stressful circumstances had not changed.

I heard intense shouting outside on the front deck. There was my precious and beautiful wife!  She was facing the lake at the railing of the deck, her arms were stretched out and upward! Facing the heavens, she was shouting PRAISES to Jesus at the top of her lungs! It was like a heavenly war cry!

We had wallowed in misery, despair, and depression long enough. I joined her. While our threatening circumstances continued unchanged for what seemed like forever, our perspective was completely transformed! The circumstances no longer had power over us. There was no more evil oppression or depression in the threat. It was as if the opposition lost its teeth. We knew, KNEW, KNEW that the deliverance in our hearts and minds was coming in our physical circumstances too! And even if it didn’t, and the worst-case scenario ensued, we would never stop praising!

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” ~ Philippians 4:4

Paul seemed to know how inclined we are to dismiss the power of praise when he wrote “Rejoice in the Lord always.” He had to say it twice back-to-back!!! “And again, I say REJOICE!”

I wonder if we are quick to dismiss it because it doesn’t make sense to our brains. The intensity of our troubles and trials can be so overwhelming that praise is the last thing we feel like doing. Yet, it’s the key to releasing divine power.

And look at the short two-sentence verse that follows (Philippians 4:5).

“Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.”

In other words, let all people recognize your unselfishness (your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near.

The verses after this (6-7) are what I emphasized in Part 2, which addresses a posture of THANKSGIVING.

Rejoicing in the Lord ALWAYS helps others see your supernatural, forbearing spirit and the nearness of Jesus in your life. It’s the same message that Peter gave when he said, “REJOICE to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings…, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” (See 1 Peter 4:12-14)

In your troubles, REJOICE in the Lord! Your freedom from bitterness and your victorious JOY will inspire those around you. It’s distinct from the world’s way of managing trouble, which is patterned after the devil’s character. The LORD IS NEAR! His Spirit of glory RESTS UPON YOU! Release Him through PRAISE!

PRAISE! To seize people’s lives for the Kingdom of God!

Bowed down under the weight and stress of troubles, battling depression and discouragement, I think about praise, and it gets stuck in my throat. Like, I want to shout out praises, but I can’t. My mouth seems glued. I choke. It goes against everything I’m feeling at the moment.

Maybe that is why Hebrews refer to it as “the sacrifice of praise…”

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” ~ Hebrews 13:15

Giving up the right to murmur and complain, we turn the pain into an instrument of praise – the fruit of our lips! And we give THANKS to His name! Offensive attack and defensive stance! Intentionally open your mouth and yield it as an instrument of righteousness. The Holy Spirit will empower and fill it with PRAISE!

Folks, that’s spiritual warfare.

THANKSGIVING is your defensive weapon.

PRAISE is your offensive weapon.

The Holy Spirit inside of you is the power to wield them both!

In Me [Jesus] you have peace. So, be cheerfully courageous because I have overcome the world.

Are you experiencing it? Pick up the weapons of thanksgiving and praise.

I’ll let you go now. You may have some praises that need shouting out! Or a “turn the pain into praise” dance! Come on! I dare you. There is guaranteed change waiting for you.

Note: I realized I did not explain the distinct differences between thanksgiving and praise. I’ll leave that to you.

Praise by Elevation Worship

“Give Praise”