You can view an in-depth discussion of A Life of Praise in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. Click on the image to view:

With thanks to

Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.

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Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-30. As Jehoshaphat discovered, praise is a powerful weapon. After receiving the report that a “vast army” was coming against him, Jehoshaphat did not immediately jump to military action, but “resolved to inquire of the LORD” (2 Chronicles 20:3, NIV). As the people of Judah came to Jerusalem for a fast, Jehoshaphat admitted the reality of the situation, saying that “we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chronicles 20:12, NIV).

When you see a “vast army” approaching, what is your instinctive reaction? From Jehoshaphat’s response in 2 Chronicles 20:3-12, what can you learn about dealing with overwhelming opposition?

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As the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, he boldly announced: “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you” (2 Chronicles 20:17, NIV). After that, they worshiped God and sang praises to him “with a very loud voice” (2 Chronicles 20:19, NIV). Even though God was going to fight for them, they still had to go out to face the enemy.

But this was no ordinary march to war. Jehoshaphat appointed a choir to sing praises to the Lord as they marched out. “As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated” (2 Chronicles 20:22, NIV). According to the author, God intervened at the very moment they exercised their faith in His promise, as they began to “praise him for the splendor of his holiness” (2 Chronicles 20:21, NIV).

Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 again. What spiritual principles can you find that can apply to your own walk with God, especially in times of trial and stress?

<–Wednesday Friday–>

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Key Thought: Praise is faith in action. When we practice praise, it has the power both to convert and to conquer.
August 27, 2022

1. Have a volunteer read Philippians 4:4-7.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. What does it mean to let your moderation be known to all men?
3. Personal Application: How can you rejoice in your own suffering? How can you praise in moments of suffering? Share your thoughts..
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “I know a lot of people who pray when things go wrong, or for someone who is sick, and other things, but I don’t hear much praise and thanksgiving in prayer. Why is thanksgiving an important part of prayer?.” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Joshua 6:15-17.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What is God trying to teach the Israelites?
3. Personal Application: Why does God sometimes bring us up against a brick wall – a Jerico? How can we learn to trust God’s power when we think we are smart enough and strong enough to prevail? Share your thoughts
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “The people marching around Jerico remind me of how we can overcome obstacles and difficulties in our lives. They did what Gods told them to, not questioning the methods. They blew the trumpets at the appropriate time, exalting God. They kept silent, being still and knowing God. At the right time, they shouted and the walls came down. They marched where God sent them and in the manner He told them..” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Acts 16:29,30..

1. Ask class members to share a short
2. Why did this event cause the jailer to focus on his own need of salvation? What role did Paul and Silas prayers and songs play in his conversion?
3. Personal Application: Do you think your prayers and praise might have a positive effect on others in bringing out their salvation by your influence? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your neighbors states: “Do you people have community praise and singing? Is it uplifting and joyous? Does it encourage members?” How would you respond to your relative?

4. Have a volunteer read 2 Chronicles 20:12..

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. When troubles seem to overwhelm us, why do we tend to focus on the troubles rather than keeping our eyes upon God and looking for His help?
3. Personal Application: When you see trouble coming, what is your reaction? What can we learn from facing overwhelming opposition? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

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In the book of Acts, praise had an astonishing effect on those who heard it. Read Acts 16:16-34. Having been stripped and beaten hard, Paul and Silas were thrown into prison. No one was there to put ointment on their badly cut and bruised backs. In great physical pain and with their feet in stocks, they were placed in the darkness of the inner prison. But as the other prisoners sat listening, Paul and Silas begin to pray and sing.

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After the earthquake, and after the jailer had discovered that neither Paul nor Silas nor any of the other prisoners had escaped, he “fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’” (Acts 16:29-30, , NIV).

Why did this event cause the jailer to focus on his own need of salvation? What role do you think Paul’s and Silas’ prayers and songs played in the prisoners’ not running away, and in the conversion of this man and his whole family?

It is amazing to think that our praise can transform the eternal destinies of those around us. If Paul and Silas had sat in the dark mumbling and complaining as prisoners often do, do you think anyone would have been saved that night?

We don’t know what happened to the jailer and his family later on, but can you imagine them reading the words that Paul later wrote from another prison in Rome: “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have” (Philippians 1:29-30, , NIV). If they did read this and reflected on how Paul’s suffering had brought them joy, it surely must have brought a song to their hearts and a fresh challenge to remain faithful, no matter the cost.

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

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Praising the Lord might not be natural to us, even in good circumstances. Thus, how much more difficult to do it in bad ones? Yet, that is what we are called to do. Praise is something that we must practice until it changes from being an activity done at a particular time to an atmosphere in which we live. Praise shouldn’t so much be a specific act but a specific way of life itself.

Read Psalm 145:1-21. What are the reasons David gives for praising God? In what ways should the words of this psalm be your own?

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The great British preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote a book called The Practice of Praise. It is based on verse 7 of today’s psalm. In this short verse, Spurgeon calls our attention to three important things that can help in developing praise in our lives.

1. Praise is practiced as we look around us. If we do not look around us to see the greatness of God, we will have no reason to praise Him. What can you see in the created world that is praiseworthy, such as the beauty of God’s creation? What can you see in the spiritual world that is praiseworthy, such as the growing faith in a young Christian?
2. Praise is practiced as we remember what we have seen. If we want to live in an atmosphere of praise, we must be able to recall the reason for it. In what ways can we remember the great things about God (such as by developing new rituals or symbols that remind us of His goodness), so that His goodness and the truth about Him does not slip from our minds?
3. Praise is practiced as we talk about it. Praise is not something that we do in our heads. It is meant to come out of our mouths, to be heard by those around us. What reasons can you think of to praise God verbally? What will the effect of such praise be, and on whom?

<–Monday Wednesday–>

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