Devotionals for the Heart: Making a Joyful Noise drives away negativity

Make a Joyful Noise
A devotional by Alexis Newlin

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” – Psalm 100:1-2 (ESV)

Have you ever been slammed with worries and negative thoughts?

I have.

Sometimes I get woken up in the middle of the night, thoughts of my ever growing to do list keeping me from rest. In the mornings before I dive into my quiet time, negative thoughts attack as I prepare to sit down with the Lord.

Sometimes I forget that I am in a battle. The enemy wants to destroy us and to do that, he’ll go after us in our minds. Those negative thoughts and emotions can be so strong that they cause us to forget that we are children of God, we are loved and we need not to worry about what comes.

I forget that the Lord has equipped us all with weapons to defeat the enemy. The ones He is always reminding me to use is worship and praise. When we sing to God, hell trembles. Darkness flees. The enemy shakes; he hates it. He can’t stand to be near it.

In the middle of another attack on my mind, the Lord whispered to me: “You’re being attacked. I want you to sing.”

Immediately I began to sing. The worries and stress that had such a hold on my mind began to lift. I felt lighter, freer. Soon my worries were gone as I was wrapped in praise and worship for my God.

Friend, praise and worship is such a powerful weapon. There are many instances in the Bible were praise and worship were used to change negative situations into more positive outcomes:

For freedom: Paul and Silas singing praises to God were rescued by an angel while imprisoned in Acts 16:25-34 (ESV)

As a weapon: Joshua and the Israelites defeat Jericho in Joshua 6 ... Jehoshaphat defeated Moab and Ammon without a fight in 2 Chronicles 20:18-23 (ESV)

When we praise God through song, we remind ourselves and the enemy who’s in charge. We remember all the things that the Lord has done for us. We remember how much we are loved by God. Instead of being filled with worry and anger, we become filled with gratitude and love for our God.

We cannot be wrapped up in ourselves or our problems if we are lifting our voices in praise to God. It doesn’t matter if you can carry or tune or not, our praise, our worship is beautiful to Him.

So the next time you find yourself being attacked by the enemy, lift your voice in song to the Lord. He will flee and you will have victory.

~*~
Author Bio:

Alexis is a 36-year-old lover of Jesus, loose leaf tea, roller coasters, writing stories and going on adventures. Originally from Marietta, GA, Alexis now resides in Fresno, CA.

You can always find Alexis outdoors enjoying a walk in her neighborhood, scoping out the newest food truck, hanging out with friends or planning her next trip.

Her church, The Revival Center, and family mean the world to her. They have supported her through the loss of her mother and her own cancer diagnosis.

Alexis enjoys encouraging others by reminding them not to look at what they see, but to always look to God, who is working in the unseen.

Alexis currently writes for several online ministries and launched her first podcast – The Brave Podcast – in January 2020.

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Connect with Alexis:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apeachincali/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/apeachincali
Podcast: http://thebravepodcast.buzzsprout.com
Website: www.apeachincali.com

Thankful Thursdays: God Speaks

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for when God speaks!

Late Wednesday night (August 12), I was trying to focus on scheduling next week's set of devotionals for my blog. But my heart was heavy and my mind was bogged down by the issues that were hurting my heart. After what may have been about 20 minutes of feeling depressed, I felt God speak these words into my spirit:  Listen to "I Bless Your Name." 

So I went to YouTube and I looked up the version of the song "I Bless Your Name" that is performed by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.

As I listened to this beautiful song of praise to God, slowly but surely, I felt like singing praises to God too! As I began to sing with the choir my burdens were lifted, my heart was healing, and my mind was given a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

I was also reminded of the Bible story about Paul and Silas who followed Jesus and preached for Him. The pivotal part of the story takes place in prison where Paul and Silas are shackled is chains. This was after they were beaten by people who thought they were a threat to society. Not everybody wants to hear about Jesus Christ, but Paul and Silas were not afraid to preach the truth. They were not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they were willing to die for the cause of Christ! Their passion for God landed them in a desolate place (a prison cell).

But Paul and Silas did not let the bleakness of their situation rule in their hearts nor stay in their minds. They chose to lift their voices in singing praises to God! And when they praised His Name, God set them free! Literally! Read about it in Acts 16:25-34 (KJV) which says:

"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: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed." 

This song and Bible story gave me so much encouragement!

 I am so thankful that God is faithful! God speaks ... do you listen?

Love,

Alexis A. Goring, MFA

Founder of "God is Love" blog