Prayer Prompt #45: Silencing Your Enemies

Through the praise of children and infants

you have established a stronghold against your enemies,

to silence the foe and the avenger.

Psalm 8:2 (NIV)

Praise is a strong weapon against the enemy because it silences his lying tongue. Matthew 21:14-17 (NIV) illustrates this:

The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.

“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”

And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

It was the children that were shouting praise in the temple courts. The chief priests and teachers of the law (the enemies) wanted them to stop proclaiming who Jesus was - the Son of David, the Messiah. But when Jesus affirmed the children’s praise (by quoting Psalm 8:2), they had nothing more to say! The enemy was silenced.

Dear LORD, You are worthy of all glory and honor and power; thank you for filling my children with praise from their youth.  Teach them to continue praising as they grow up and life gets harder - teach them to continue praising no matter what circumstances they face.  Let them see that their praise puts the enemy to flight and silences their foes; may they wield praise as a mighty weapon against the powers of darkness. In Jesus’ name, amen.