Acts 16:25 – 28 (KJV)

²⁵And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 

²⁶And 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. 

²⁷And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 

²⁸But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 

3 really big things that happen when God is praised!!

Praise can bring us into God’s presence

Psalms 22:3 (KJV) ³    But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

Heb. yashab (“inhabitest,” KJV), and understanding the poetic imagery. Also means “sit,” “dwell,” “inhabit,” “enthrone,” or even “tabernacle”, based on context.

2 Chronicles 5:11 – 14 (KJV)

¹¹And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course: 

¹²Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) 

¹³It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; 

¹⁴So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

Praise can cause God to confuse our enemies

• Psalms 18:3 (KJV) ³    I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
  

2 Chronicles 20:20 – 23 (KJV)

²⁰And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. 

²¹And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. 

²²And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. 

²³For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. 

Praise makes us aware of God in our circumstances

Job 1:20 – 22 (NASB)

²⁰Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 

²¹He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

  And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” ²²Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

Job 42:3 – 5 (NASB)

³   …“Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” ⁵“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You;

Acts 16:25 – 26 (KJV)

²⁵And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. ²⁶And 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.