The Privilege and Power of Praise | Today with Dr. Mark Jobe

“We sing as an expression of hope, trust, and faith, praising God for what He has done in the past and proclaiming our faith for what He will do in the future.”

Music is closely woven into our relationship with God. When we sing, our mind and emotions connect in a powerful way. Even our physical body is involved as we lift our hands to God. Psalm 96:1–2 expresses this well: “Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.”

From Scripture, we learn that singing is more than an emotional outlet. We don’t just sing to the Lord because we’re happy, we worship Him even in our darkest moments. We sing as an expression of hope, trust, and faith, praising Him for what He has done in the past and proclaiming our faith for what He will do in the future.

In Acts 16, we meet the Apostle Paul and Silas. The pair had been preaching about Jesus when they were attacked by an angry mob. Severely beaten, stripped, and shackled, they were thrown into a cell. They did not know what the morning would bring. But around midnight, Paul and Silas began to sing (v. 25). I can imagine that the sound of their voices—praising God—cut through the darkness and roused other prisoners.

As Paul and Silas continued to praise God, there was an earthquake. It was so violent the foundation of the prison was shaken (v. 26). Prison doors opened and chains fell off. The spiritual changed the physical. Acts tells us that the “jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself!’” (vv. 27–28). The jailer, astounded by what had happened, asked Paul: “What must I do to be saved?” That very evening, the jailer and his entire household believed in God and were baptized.

Music is a powerful expression of faith that cuts to our emotional center. As we lift our hands in worship, we feel the Holy Spirit work in our hearts and minds. And, our worship can point others to God, testifying to what He has done. In the darkest moments in our lives, the most powerful sound is the voice of praise. Not only does our praise redirect our attention from our circumstances back to God, but it also sets in motion God-activity that can open doors and manifest His power.

BY Dr. Mark Jobe, President

Dr. Mark Jobe is the president of Moody Bible Institute. He has served as the lead pastor of New Life Community Church, one church that meets at 27 locations. Mark earned a diploma from Moody Bible Institute in 1984, a master’s degree from Moody Theological Seminary, and a doctorate in transformational leadership from Bakke Graduate University. He is the author of What Now?: How to Move into Your Next Season (Moody Publishers) and can be heard on Bold Steps, a daily program on Moody Radio. He and his wife, Dee, have three adult children and four grandchildren.