by Romy Roque
We all know, believe and understand that prayer is powerful. Prayer builds our relationship with our Heavenly Father because this is how we communicate with Him. But did you know praising Him is as powerful? Even Our Father’s Prayer starts with praise. Let’s study what praise will produce from 1Chronicles 4:1.
Pastor Kirk DeVine, in one of his sermons, took this simple verse, 1Chronicles 4:1 and translated it into layman’s terms on how praising God can produce Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal, the sons of Judah. The verse in itself, if not studied in detail, seems to be just a genealogy of Judah. But as Pastor Dani Castillo says, the bible is so rich. There is always something new we can learn and discover.
Let’s begin with the meaning of Judah. It means praise. This verse calls out the names of the five sons of Judah but there is no mention of a mother. What’s the point? Well, praise permeates and has the tendency to be a powerful producer. What am I talking about? What this means for us is that Judah wants to partner with you and me to produce the Power. Judah (praise) comes to our worship service, at our homes, at our work, at our schools or wherever you may be, searching for that special someone to consummate a relationship with in order to produce the seeds of praise. You must have the right heart, though. You can’t be the complainer or “the beaten” one. You must have the attitude of gratitude in all of your situations. You must have that unwavering faith where you can continue to praise God in all of your circumstances. You are probably saying, “That’s impossible to do when facing difficult situations, like financial hardships, failing health, broken relationship, etc.” Well, let me tell you that the problem is your response to these situations. Part of your problem is that you won’t praise God in spite of whatever situation you may be in. Let me give you five good reasons why you need to start praising.
First product of you and praise is Perez. Perez means Breach, Cut -off, or Divider. When you start praising God, he begins to cut-off certain things from your life that hinders you from your forward progression in Him. Perez creates a dividing line between you and what the enemy has designed for your life. The bible says the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But Jesus said, “I come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). So, if Jesus’ intention is for you to have life more abundantly, then that’s enough reason for you to praise Him! When you allow praise to permeate through you, Perez (Breach, Cut off, Divider) is produced. Perez will then cut off the tactics of the enemy. Every time he tries to derail you from God’s plan in your life, your Perez throws him off course. Every time he tries to remind you of past failures, your Perez steps in and reminds him of his future. Every time he tries to block you from reaching your full potential in God, your Perez steps in and cuts off his attack at the very point of contact.
The second product of you and praise is Hezron. Hezron means Shut In, Surround, or Shield. “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” (Psalm 91:4) Ephesians 6:16 tells us also that the shield of faith “can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Hezron can shield you so that you won’t even see those fiery arrows coming at you. If you focus on praising Him in the midst of your trials, your attention will shift towards the positive instead of the negative impact of the situation. True praise will create such a shield (Hezron) that hell and havoc can be literally on your doorstep, yet it won’t affect you. Your praise can take you into that deep recess of God, the Shekinah Glory of God, to the Holy of Holies. What an awesome benefit just from praising Him!
Judah’s third son is Carmi. Carmi means Vinedresser or Harvester. When you praise God, Carmi will be produced. Let me tell you the difference between a farmer and a harvester. A farmer plants and sows his own seeds. He waters and takes care of what he plants. The farmer harvests his own crop when it’s ready. The harvester, on the other hand, does not sow his own seed nor does he need to take care of them. The harvester simply harvests, but only in its season. Well, when you praise God, God will give you favor. He will put you in season to harvest in which you don’t necessarily deserve. The bible calls this grace! God will cause favor to come into your life and people will wonder “how did…?” What they don’t realize and what you should realize is that when you start praising, you will produce Carmi.
The fourth by product of you and praise is Hur which can be translated as Noble or Liberty. Hur was the one who helped Moses free Israel from Amelek. He helped hold Moses’ arms up to keep the rod raised. The good thing about Hur or liberty is that Hur frees us from the opinions of others, from the past, and from the pain of the past. But, you need to realize that the liberty Hur provides will require you to fight for that freedom too. You will need to fight to get free from those distractions, disruptions, and disappointments in our lives. That’s why praise and worship is so important in the life of a believer. It is a weapon against the spiritual battle we are in. The bible says in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” See, when you start praising God through your adversities, you can start breaking down strongholds, casting down arguments, and returning back to humility in God’s presence. Praising will free you from the bondage of this world!
Shobal is the fifth result of you and praise. Shobal has several meanings; Embracer of Corn, Wanderer, Traveler, and Pioneer. Let me explain to you how “Embracer of Corn” relates to our topic of praise. During the period this text was written, there was no money system in place. They used a barter system, and trading corn was used by the wealthy as a form of currency. When you start praising, God will bring you prosperity. This is not only in terms of financial wealth, but in all areas of your life. It could be good health, provide you with the opportunity for a ministry, etc. God will use Shobal to bring you into a position to be all that God has called you to be. Thus, the other meanings of Shobal- Wanderer, Traveler, and Pioneer -are connected with the first meaning. When you start praising, God will use Shobal to bring you to places where you’ve never been before. Everyone around you, including you will not understand how you got there. You’ll look back and reflect that a miracle just happened. God just started opening doors of opportunity as if the heavenly doors just opened up and showered you with God’s abundance.
To summarize what happens when you start praising and living your life with the attitude of gratitude, you will produce Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal! Praise will cut you out from the enemy’s world. Praise will then provide you a shield to withstand the enemy’s attacks. Praise will also provide you God’s favor. Praise will be your weapon to free you from the bondage of this “dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Lastly, praise will take you to the unchartered territory where God has willed you to live prosperously and abundantly.
What’s stopping you from praising Him right now?
