2Samuel 6:12-16…20-23, “Now it was told King David, saying, The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness. [13] And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep. [14] Then David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. [15] So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet. [16] Now as the ark of the LORD came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.”
2Samuel 6:20-23, “Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself! [21] So David said to Michal, It was before the LORD, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the LORD. [22] And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor. [23] Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.”
Praise is the recognition and celebration of God’s greatness and significance in your life. It is your verbal and physical response to the greatness of God, while faith is your positive response to His promises. God dwells in our hearts but His presence is activated by our praise! His power is released when we begin to praise Him!
We are going to be looking at an important aspect of praise today. The Bible says in Psalm 149:3, “Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.” We play music and dance to the rhythm in praise of His Name.
People dance to celebrate their achievements or just to feel good. We have seen traditional worshippers dancing to celebrate their idols, but there is a spiritual dance in which you celebrate the Almighty God. And this comes with enormous benefits.
5 Benefits Of Praising God In The Dance
1. Praise dancing breaks all known and unknown barriers! The Bible records in Joshua 6 how God gave this previously unknown recipe to Joshua for taking the heavily protected city of Jericho. They were at the verge but there was a wall. Many are at the verge of their breakthrough and they are stranded, they don’t know what to do. Many are at the verge of securing their dream, but they are stranded. God told them to march and after that to celebrate. So, Joshua and the children, marched in worship for seven days and on the 7th day, they intensified their worship by marching round the city of Jericho 7 times and at the 7th time, they gave a thunderous shout of victory.
The walls of Jericho collapsed and fell flat. I cannot understand the physics or chemistry of it, but the result was undeniable and incontestable! It is therefore the recipe for shattering barriers and lifting limitations the enemy places on your life in order to limit your progress. That barrier between you and your breakthrough will breakdown today!
2. Praise dancing gives you uncommon victory in battle, it takes your enemies to the cleaner.
King Jehoshaphat deliberately chose singers to praise the Lord after he had consulted the people. “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.” 2Chronicles 20:21. It is was intentional. This may have been considered a poor military strategy but it worked. You might say, what has this got to do with dancing. Where there is music, people dance. I can just imagine that they were dancing their way to fight a well-equipped army.
And look at the result: “And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.” 2Chronicles 20:22. God takes over your battles when you acknowledge His power and greatness in praise. Those who have discovered and used this secret have never lost a battle. From today, you will never lose a battle in Jesus name!
We appreciate music because we are wired to praise God. It is part of our DNA. It is a vital way of connecting to whatever we worship. Music makes us happy, hopeful and satisfied. Music makes us human. I will NOT live with anyone who does not sing. Such a person is cold, inhuman and could be ruthless.
3. Praise dancing gives you access to unlimited supernatural abundance. It is one of the major keys to living in supernatural abundance. Praise attracts blessings! Murmuring attracts the devil and brings hunger, thirst, deprivation, bondage and destruction. Deuteronomy 28:47-48 (please read).
Herodias’ daughter danced for Herod on his birthday, she was given an open cheque of up to half of the Kingdom (Matthew 14:6-11). That would have been a tremendous breakthrough anyone could wish for she had no vision of her own. She went to her mother to ask her what to ask the King for. She ended up with the head of her mother’s enemy by dancing before King Herod on his birthday. It was a difficult request for Herod to grant but he had no choice but to keep his promise. I feel sorry for the mastermind of all your problems when you engage the weapon of praise!
Those who have not learnt to sing and dance unto the Lord stay outside of the gates of heaven and struggle. But those who have mastered this have an easy access to the throne where things are happening.
(To be continued next week…)
Bishop Dr Charles Olowojoba is the General Overseer of Dayspring Bible Church Worldwide with HQ in Abuja, Nigeria & President, Dayspring Christian Ministries Int’l.
