"praise Precedes Victory!"

"Praise Paves the Path to Victory!"

Tony C – Study/Meditation on the Word / July 2025

A Message from 2 Chronicles 20

I. HISTORICAL SETTING

• Jehoshaphat's Crisis (vv. 1-3)

• The National Prayer Meeting (vv. 4-13)

• God's Promise Through Jahaziel (vv. 14-17)

II. THE PRINCIPLE: PRAISE BEFORE THE BATTLE (vv. 18-22)

• Morning Worship (vv. 18-19)

• Singers Appointed (vv. 20-21)

• Victory Through Praise (v. 22)

III. THE PATTERN: PRAISE PRECEDES VICTORY

• David's Example

• Paul and Silas' Example

• Our Application

IV. THE POWER: WHY PRAISE WORKS

• God Inhabits Our Praises

• Praise Acknowledges Who God Is

• Praise Positions Us for Victory

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INTRODUCTION: THE HISTORICAL SETTING

Church, turn with me to 2 Chronicles chapter 20! We're going back approximately 870 BC - about 140 years after King David sat on the throne! The sweet psalmist of Israel had been gone for over a century, but his legacy of praise was about to save a nation!

King Jehoshaphat, David's great-great-great grandson, faced an impossible situation. Three armies had formed an alliance against tiny Judah - the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir. Humanly speaking, Judah didn't stand a chance!

I. THE CRISIS THAT DEMANDS PRAISE (vv. 1-3)

2 Chronicles 20:3 tells us: "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah."

Sometimes God allows overwhelming circumstances to drive us to our knees! Jehoshaphat did what every child of God should do in crisis - HE SOUGHT THE LORD!

II. THE PRINCIPLE: PRAISE BEFORE YOU SEE THE VICTORY!

The Morning of Battle (vv. 20-21)

Listen to what happened next! 2 Chronicles 20:21: "And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever!"

Did you catch that? They put the CHOIR in front of the ARMY! The SINGERS before the SOLDIERS! Why? Because PRAISE PRECEDES VICTORY!

The Moment of Miracle (v. 22)

2 Chronicles 20:22: "And WHEN they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir!"

WHEN they began to sing! Not after the victory - BEFORE! Not when they felt like it - when they CHOSE TO! The battle was won with a SONG!

III. THE PATTERN THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE

David: The Sweet Psalmist's Secret

Remember young David facing Goliath? What prepared him for that moment? Years of singing praises while watching sheep! 1 Samuel 16:23 tells us: "David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him!"

David's praises drove out demons before he ever fought giants! PRAISE PRECEDED HIS VICTORY!

Paul and Silas: Midnight Praise Service

Acts 16:25-26: "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and SANG PRAISES unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken!"

Their backs were bleeding! Their feet were in stocks! But they PRAISED! And when they praised, PRISON DOORS OPENED! PRAISE PRECEDED THEIR DELIVERANCE!

IV. THE APPLICATION: PRAISE EVEN IN YOUR WEAKNESS!

"But Pastor, I've failed God so many times!" "I don't love my neighbor like I should!" "I don't love God like I should!" "I don't know enough Bible!" "I don't have enough faith!"

Listen, Jehoshaphat's prayer in 2 Chronicles 20:12 was: "O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have NO MIGHT against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee!"

They had NO MIGHT! They had NO PLAN! But they had PRAISE!

V. WHY PRAISE IS SO POWERFUL

God Inhabits Our Praises

Psalm 22:3 declares: "But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel!"

When we praise, God SHOWS UP! He doesn't inhabit our complaints! He doesn't inhabit our doubts! He INHABITS OUR PRAISES!

Praise Acknowledges Who God Is

Why does God love our praise? Not because He's an egomaniac - He's not insecure! He loves it because:

1. Praise ALIGNS us with TRUTH! When we praise Him, we're acknowledging reality - HE IS GOD!

2. Praise POSITIONS us PROPERLY! He is the Creator, we are the created! Psalm 100:3: "Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves!"

3. Praise CONNECTS us to POWER! Psalm 8:2: "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger!"

Praise Precedes Victory Because:

• It demonstrates FAITH before we see results!

• It declares God's SOVEREIGNTY over our situation!