IF THE DEVIL CANNOT SHUT YOUR MOUTH IN PRAISE; HE WILL NOT LIMIT YOUR RISE IN LIFE.
DON’T LOCK UP YOUR DESTINY BY CLOSING YOUR MOUTH IN PRAISE. OPEN YOUR MOUTH IN PRAISE AND YOU WILL UNLOCK YOUR POTENTIALS AND DESTINY.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO PRAISE GOD, THE PRESENCE OF GOD WILL SATURATE YOU AND WHEN THE PRESENCE OF GOD IS WITH YOU, YOU CAN’T REMAIN ON THE FLOOR.
YOU DON’T LIVE A REGULAR LIFE, YOU LIVE AN UNUSUAL LIFE AND YOU STAY UP.
-Pastor Paul Enenche at Destiny Recovery Convention, 2022
Thanksgiving Service, Dunamis International Gospel Centre
Clap your hands all ye people, shout to the Lord with the voice of triumph!
I welcome you to this Celebration Sunday of 2022 Destiny Recovery Convention, Testimonies and Thanksgiving Service: Racing and Rising by Grace.
I want to also welcome you to this weekend of the delivery of this vision, 26 years ago; this exact weekend, the vision for the restoration of human destinies and dignities through the administration of the benefits of redemption, by the forceful ministration of the Word and the demonstration of power. Church Gist. We have seen the Word and we have seen His Power and His Presence since that vision was given and today, it will be made very clear in the life of someone, that God, faithful is He who called and He will also do it.
Are you excited this morning? Give Him another clap, shout and leap of joy!
Father, thank You for this moment, we give You the praise and the honour; be glorified in Jesus precious name.
I want to appreciate everyone here this morning, I have few foreign guests and delegates from all over the world. This year, we had about thirty something countries represented at this conference and we appreciate God for His goodness.
Habakkuk 3:17-19
The Lord bless His Word in Jesus’ name!
Speaking very briefly, we came in for majorly praise, thanksgiving and appreciation today and so, the preaching will not be too long. Preaching this morning on the subject;
‘THE RAISE OF PRAISE’
Praise is key to the raise. Our objective this morning is:
1). Understanding what it means to be raised by praise.
2). Understanding how praise raises people.
3). Understanding the praise that raises.
Without any contradiction, scriptures make it clear that praise is a raiser or a lifter of people and scripture also makes it clear that, depression is demobilizer of lives and destinies. Church Gist. Where we just read said, summary: even if nothing is working, yet, I will praise the Lord and He will guard my feet like the hinds’ feet and make me to walk upon mine high places. If the devil cannot shut your mouth in praise; he will not limit your rise in life. Throughout scripture, we see people who were very highly lifted and they were people who praised.
1). King David – he was called the sweet Psalmist of Israel (2 Samuel 23:1). By being a psalmist, worshipper, a praiser; he was raised up on high. If the enemy wants to keep you in the pit; he will close your mouth in praise. If the enemy wants to keep you on the floor; he attacks your praise. Church Gist. David, the man who was raised up on high, the sweet Psalmist of Israel (Psalm 119:164, Psalm 34:1). No wonder, Saul could not stop his rise, the Amalekites could not stop his rise, the Philistines could not stop his rise; his sons that rose up against him could not prevent his rise.
- There is someone here this morning, as you are going to give God the praise and you live the lifestyle of praise, every limitation on your life shall be broken this morning!
2). King Solomon – he was a young man, maybe you can say almost born out of wedlock; illegal, illicit relationship between his mother and his father, but he was a man of praise (1 Kings 4:32, Ecclesiastes 2:8). So much so that, a whole book of the Bible was named Songs of Solomon. No wonder God picked him from the dungeon because of the praiseful heart he had. Church Gist. God picked him from the pit, the reproach and the realm of insults; a realm of being despised because of what his mother and father did. God picked him up and made him the most significant king in Israel; the richest, wealthiest and the most popular king, apart from David, by the raise of praise.
- I don’t know whose situation is like Solomon this morning; maybe your birth circumstances were not correct, maybe your father and mother made a mistake that is rubbing off on your life, maybe there is something about you that people talk about and they talk about in a reproachful manner; something in your history or in your life, something about your destiny; I am anointed to announce to you this morning, your praise shall erase every reproach of your life!
- Your praise shall erase every negativity of your life!
- Your praise shall erase every testimony that is not correct!
3). Moses – God said, if there is any prophet, I the Lord will speak to him in dreams, visions and revelations. But my servant Moses is not like that; him will I speak face to face and mouth to mouth, as a man speaketh to his friends. Church Gist. What could have been such secret of Moses, that made him so dear to God, that will speak to him as a friend?
Among other things was the worship life of Moses (Exodus 15:1, Deuteronomy 31:22, 30, Deuteronomy 32:44). You will never know that Moses was a man of songs, so much songs that the song of Moses made it to Heaven (Revelation 15:3).
Moses, a singer, a praiser, a worshipper of God worshipped his way, sang his way until his song became a song to be sang in Heaven, until he became the most notable and important prophet of all time.
- I prophesy to you today, God is about to lay His hands on you by the power of your praise and by the power of your worship and every limitation of your life and your destiny is about to be dismantled and dissolved and God will take you to where you belong!
4). Paul was a man of worship (Philippians 4:4, Ephesians 5:18-20, 1 Thessalonians 5:18). Paul the Apostle was the star Apostle, the Apostle that came from behind, from the background and made it to the forefront. Church Gist. The Apostle that came and became apostle ahead of Peter, James, John and all of them; they were all there before him but he literally overtook them in impact and in every realm because among other things, he had a buoyant life of praise, worship and thanksgiving.
Don’t let any devil shut your mouth in praise. When the devil come around you with offence and bitterness and betrayals and conspiracies; he only wants to shut your mouth in praise and in so doing, limit your life and destiny.
- Today, I take authority over every spirit of depression, discouragement; I declare, it is broken right now in the name of Jesus!
5). Our Master Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:30). Around when the crucifixion was to happen, they were still singing hymns. When the devil was looking for Him to crucify Him, He still had songs in His heart to sing.
What is it that has taken the song away from your mouth? I want you to know that, when the enemy wants to destroy your life, he destroys your song. One of the worst things satan did against Job was that, he cut off his music (Job 30:31). Church Gist. If the devil cannot stop your praise, he cannot stop your deliverance and divine intervention. You must come to the point where you make up your mind that nothing will tamper with your organ, harp, voice and song. The Master was about to be crucified; He still had a song.
- I don’t care the medical report the devil has given you this morning, you shall sing your song. I don’t care the news you got from the village or from your family house this morning or last night, you shall have a song this morning!
- This morning, you shall have a song that shall change your story!
How does praise raise people?
1). Praise establishes the presence of God around the life of the praiser (Psalm 22:3, Psalm 100:4). The presence of God in the life of a person takes you from ordinary existence, earthly existence and regular existence in life because the presence of God carries the Heavenly climate; it makes your life Heavenly. Church Gist. That was what happened to Joseph when he was in Egypt, the Lord was with him and because the Lord was with him, he was not living the regular life of a slave; everything changed. The Lord was with him and took him to the top (Genesis 39:2-5, 21).
If you are going to praise God, the presence of God will saturate you and when the presence of God is with you, you can’t remain on the floor; you don’t live a regular life, you live an unusual life and you stay up.
- There are people here this morning, the presence of God is going to make a difference in your family, community and environment!
2). Praise unleashes divine favour on the praiser. Show me a man or a woman who knows how to praise and I will show you a man and a woman who will walk in favour (Acts 2:47, Psalm 89:17). When Your favour is on me, exaltation is my portion. When Your favour is on my life, lifting is my portion (Esther 2:17)
- I prophesy to someone here, every trace of rejection and disfavour on your life, it is about to be cleaned out by the favour of God today in the name of Jesus!
- The favour of God is taking you up and setting the crown on your head!
3). Praise triggers the release of human potentials (2 Samuel 23:1, Psalm 34:1, Psalm 119:164). If you look at David, you see David as the symbol of praise and worship in the Bible; he was a singer, song writer, inventor of music equipment, an instrumentalist, choir director, music director.
Who had more released potential than David in the whole Bible? Maybe Jesus Christ, Paul the Apostle, because what was David? David was a psalmist, a singer, a songwriter, a choir director, an instrumentalist, a fighter, a giant killer, a military general, a strategist, a people developer, a leader, a king, a priest, a prophet; everything that was available for anybody to be, David was. Church Gist. He entered into every calling, he stepped into every mantle. Every mantle available in the Old Testament, David touched it. Don’t envy David’s mantle until you can connect with his praise. If you can do what David did with God, you can experience what David experienced with God.
Paul the Apostle, (Philippians 4:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:18) will be the equivalent of David in the New Testament, even though he may not have sung, but he was an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher; he worked in Word of knowledge, Word of wisdom, discerning of spirits, working of miracles, gift of prophecy, interpretation of tongues, diversity of tongues, administrator, establishment of churches – one man.
- There are people here today, your praise is about to explode your potentials!
Look at your neighbor and say:
“Don’t lock up your destiny by closing your mouth in praise. Open your mouth in praise and you will unlock your potentials and destiny.”
4). Praise is the channel for divine direction (2 Kings 3:15, Acts 13:2, Isaiah 30:29-30). Anytime you need His voice, release a song; go ahead and worship in praise and praying in the Spirit. Church Gist. He may speak to you audibly, He may speak to you through His Word, He may speak to you through the inward witness or the inward voice. But a song is connected to the voice.
Why is divine direction important? How does it take you up?
Divine direction is key to destiny distinction. Abraham was unknown until direction came and that direction took Abraham from obscurity to authority (Genesis 12:1, Genesis 26:1-3). This direction made Isaac to dwell in the land and by dwelling in the land, everything changed (Genesis 26:14-16).
- Is there someone here today, trusting God for direction? You are at the junction of decision; you are trusting God for which way to go; I announce to you today, by our praise today, direction shall come for you!
Lift your right hand and say;
“I receive needed and necessary direction today in Jesus precious name!”
5). Praise is a weapon for deliverance (Psalm 32:7, 1 Samuel 16:23, Acts 16:25-26).
When you praise, yokes are destroyed and when yokes are destroyed, destinies are released (Leviticus 26:13). When you praise, yokes are broken and when yokes are broken, your life is upright (right-up)
- Every ancestral generational family curse, any bondage from hell, every occultic power; whatever it is that has bond your life and made your life to be bend down; I declare this day, that yoke is broken in the name of Jesus!
Question is; what is the kind of praise that guarantees the raise?
1). Praise despite distraction – when you are able to praise God despite enemy’s distraction, when you are praising when it appears like, things are not working, when you have decided to praise when the enemy wants you to complain (Habakkuk 3:17-19).
“Though the fig tree shall not blossom and there is no fruit in the vines; I have laboured to plant olive the fig and everything and my labour failed; the fields are not yielding any crop, the shop seems deserted, people don’t seem to be patronising what I do: I wrote proposals, they produced no result. Church Gist. The flock is cut off from the fold, even my supplies and my warehouse is reducing and is no herd in the stalls: ‘ ‘Yet’ Many years ago, I preached a message titled “Yet”. People you helped, try to turn against you: ‘Yet…’ You have sown so much; you are expecting so much but little came: ‘Yet…’ People are looking at me and they said, “You have been married for a long time, where is your child? and they are trying to mock you: ‘Yet…’ They said, “You’ve been going to church all this while, why have you not gotten married from your going to church? ‘Yet’, I will praise the Lord.’
This is the key: Anything the devil wants you to do; do the opposite. If he wants you to complain, celebrate. If he wants you to sit down, stand up. If he wants you to crawl, fly. If he wants you to stop praying, pray more. If he says your vision is too big, get a bigger vision. That was how Paul and Silas praised; they praised when their backs were bleeding. They should be crying and they should be lamenting; their offence was that, they delivered a girl that was possessed with the spirit of divination. Church Gist. For doing good, the enemy tried to make them regret doing good (maybe you are like that here): to make them regret working for God and functioning in ministry and when they should be lamenting and regretting, they exploded in praise, to the shame of the dummy devil (Acts 16:25-26). God says, when you praise Me like that, then the Lord God will supply you strength (Habakkuk 3:19). A hinds’ feet can stand anywhere, they cannot fall down.
When I was walking in and the praise was on, despite praise and worship going on, some people were just sitting down. Never do that to yourself and to your destiny. It is not a matter of knowing how to dance: some people will say, “I don’t know how to dance.” Don’t do that to yourself. There is no segment of the Church service that is a waste. Church Gist. The praise time is not disco party; it is a spiritual prophetic exercise and you are not trying to show off or show anybody. This morning you are going to confirm to God and praising, celebrating and dancing is a weapon of spiritual warfare. What general purpose machine gun or armoured tank did Joshua and the people used to bring down the wall of Jericho? When Jehoshaphat and the army of Israel were surrounded by the Ammonites and the Amalekites, what weapon was used to made them fight each other?
Praise is a brutal weapon of spiritual warfare; it sets confusion in the camp of the enemy. It fills you with power and makes you unbeatable.
2). Praise that is focused on your Maker. Even if I don’t have any assignment in this world, I have the assignment of praising God. I was created for a purpose and that purpose is to show forth the praises of God (Isaiah 43:21). Church Gist. If my earthly job is not working well, let my spiritual job do well and if my spiritual job has done well, then the physical work must follow. Let me engage myself for God and God will cause the devil and his agents to give me what is mine.
PRAYERS:
- Father, I come before You today; I have praised You today, I ask that Your presence be established in my life, I ask that Your favour will swallow up every disfavour and rejection in my life in the name of Jesus. I ask that Your power will release the potentials of my life in the name of Jesus.
- Father, I receive divine direction today in the name of Jesus. Father, I receive complete deliverance from every trace of affliction, torment and captivity; I receive complete deliverance now in the name of Jesus.
Proverbs 19:21
- Father, I come before You today; I ask that Your counsel for my life, family, the Church, Dunamis and the Nation shall stand. I ask that the counsel of the devil and the devices of the enemy concerning my life, family, destiny, the Church, Dunamis and Nigeria shall fail. We decree failure for the devices of the enemy in the name of Jesus now.
Ezekiel 12:22-23
- Father, I ask that every negative cycle and negative pattern of my life, family, destiny, the Church, Dunamis and this Nation Nigeria, be broken right now; oh you negative pattern, cycle and occurrence, in the name of Jesus, you are broken now.
- Father, today according to Your Word, I reject the spell of failure in my life, family, destiny, the Church, Dunamis and this nation Nigeria; in the name of Jesus, my vision, my life and destiny cannot fail, the Church and Nigeria cannot fail. Today, we reject the spell of failure now, in the name of Jesus.
(Altar Call)
