In scripture, there is a man by the name of Hezekiah. Hezekiah was a good man. He was a leader who loved and honored God and stood for righteousness. He led the people with integrity. In the prime of his career, suddenly, he got very sick. Hezekiah’s mentor was the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah came to the palace and said, “Hezekiah, I have a word from the Lord for you. God says, ‘Set your house in order for you shall surely die.'” He pronounced a death sentence over Hezekiah. Up until that point, all of Isaiah’s prophecies had come true. He had a proven track record.

After delivering the prophecy, Isaiah turned around and began to walk out of the palace. Hezekiah began to pray out loud and ask God to give him more years. He reminded God of all the good things he had done as a ruler, how he had gotten rid of idols and had encouraged the people to worship. He was pleading his case, but Isaiah just kept on walking out. Nothing had changed. Hezekiah said, “God, I deserve more years! I’ve done my best. I’ve lived with integrity.” But Isaiah just kept on walking.

Finally, Hezekiah decided to try a different approach. Instead of telling God how good he was and listing all of his personal accomplishments, Hezekiah began to give God praise. He began to thank God for who He was and what He had done. Hezekiah made the statement, “God, the grave cannot give You praise!” At that very moment, Isaiah stopped in his tracks. He turned back around. God spoke to Isaiah and said, “I want you to go back and tell King Hezekiah that if he is going to praise Me, I will give him fifteen more years. If he is going to praise Me, it’s a different story. I’ll add to his life.”

What am I saying? There is power in your praise! Your praise can even change God’s mind. You don’t have to tell God how good you are or how much you deserve something. Just praise Him for who He is and what He has done. Praise Him for His greatness.

Today, I’m asking us to turn up the praise. God said, “If you don’t praise Me, the rocks will cry out.” Our attitude should be, “No rocks are going to have to cry out for me. I’m going to sing for joy! I’m going to shout unto God. I’m going to have high praises coming out of my mouth.” Remember, praise is where the battle is won. When you praise, supernatural doors open. When you praise, chains are broken. Live a life of praise because praise will add to your life!