Power of Praise

Praise and worship changes the atmosphere and releases the presence of God into the circumstance or situation.  Being a worship musician and leader I have learned the power of praise and worship.  I really became aware of what worship can do on the streets of San Francisco and for almost 9 years led worship at Powell and Market streets weekly at our "Project Light" outreaches.  Why is worship so powerful?  First, it is warfare. II Chronicles 20 the king of Israel, Jehosaphat, was told to send the singers to the head of the battle.  Unusual and seemingly fatal in the natural.  But  God was teaching Jehosaphat and power that releasing God's presence can have on the enemy.  This huge army that surrounded Israel was threatening and seemingly undefeatable.  But God allowed them to turn on each other and kill themselves.  The end result was it took three days for Israel just to gather all the spoils of the battle and even then they could not carry all the bounty home!  I saw over and over this happen on the streets of San Francisco.  When the enemy's demonic presence would seemingly block or try and stop the move of God, praise and worship would break through!.  We would always would sing about the blood of Jesus and the whole atmosphere would change.  We were being attacked through a march of over 1,000 radicals as we were preparing to worship at Union Square right in the center of San Francisco.  The leader of the march came to me as we had just set up the equipment and were ready to began worship.  He said, "We are coming this way shortly and we are taking over Union Square and nothing you can do can stop us!"  Breathing out threatenings, Satan was trying to initiate fear in us. I became bold in the Spirit and said, "Your too late, someone else has already taken over!"  He said, "Well who is that?"  I said "Jesus Christ is here and he rules".  His response was, "You will see when all our marchers arrive."  He walked off and I cried to the Lord and said, "Help us!"  I heard clearly, start your worship immediately and I will cover you.  So the worship team began to praise and worship and here came the radical marchers.  When they hit the square they absolutely began walking around as blind men.  They simple dissolved and scattered.  The police were there and said they had never seen anything like this and told us to just continue doing what we were doing.
Second, it is witness.  Worship is a declaration of the presence and power of God on earth as it is in heaven!  It addresses God's wondrous glory and goodness.  I have seen people come forward for healing, deliverance and salvation during worship without any altar call.  They are simply drawn into the presence of God.  Jesus is universally attractive and when we lift Him up, He draws all men to Himself.  Third it is wondrous.  It build's the spirit man and makes us sensitive to hear His voice.  I have seen the gifts of prophecy often released during high praise and worship. It declares the creative power of God and the redemptive power.  These two themes are both mentioned in Rev. 4 & 5 as being the central theme's of heaven's worship by the angels, 24 elders and the 4 cheribums around the altar.  It takes us higher into the realm of the glory of God.  It transcends earth and brings heaven to earth.  There are literal angels of the "presence of the Lord' (Isaiah)  that come immediately from the throne room to planet earth to accompany God's presence.  I have felt them so many times on the streets.  Try praise and worship in your life and see for yourself the effect it has on you.  You can listen 24/7 to our worship TV channel at WATV WORSHIP TV.  Just turn it on your cell phone or computer and enjoy God's presence.