The Supernatural Power of Praise

Written By Andrew Hopkins

“To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…”
—Isaiah 61:3

Praise is more than a song—it’s a supernatural weapon where God dwells. But tough times often try to steal our song and weigh us down. That’s when we rise up and declare God’s greatness in praise, and in doing so, experience His Presence and His power.

In Isaiah 61:1-3, the prophet is prophesying of the Messiah, Jesus, who was to come. In fact, Jesus quoted verses 1-2 in Luke 4:18-19 saying that the scripture was fulfilled in Him.

But in verse 3, Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would minister healing to the hurting, and the result would be praise.

From Mourning to Praise

In the ancient world, mourning was expressed outwardly—tearing clothes, putting on sackcloth, ashes on the head, and fasting. It was a visible reflection of inner brokenness.

But Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would reverse this. He would give:

  • Beauty for ashes – dignity and glory restored.

  • Oil of joy for mourning – sadness exchanged for joy.

  • The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness – the itchy sackcloth of grief replaced with the mantle of praise.

    This is what Jesus does for us: He finds us broken, heals us, and transforms us. And the natural response is praise.

  • 💡 Digging deeper: The Hebrew word for “beauty” can also mean turban—a symbol of dignity and honor. The Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) even uses the word doxa, meaning glory. The “oil of joy” points to a cultural practice of refreshing and brightening one’s countenance with oil. And the “spirit of heaviness” is pictured in the coarse, itchy goat-hair sackcloth that outwardly matched the inward sorrow. Each image shows how completely Jesus reverses our mourning into joy and worship.

Praise is the response to the goodness of God in our lives.

Ultimately, it’s found in the cross of Christ where He willingly gave His life for our sins and bought freedom and forgiveness for us. But it’s also in the way He continues to work in our lives—healing, restoring, and making us whole.

But I want you to see something deeper in the text.

The Mantle of Praise

The word translated “garment” in Isaiah 61 can also be rendered “mantle.”

A mantle was more than clothing—it often represented a person’s calling or responsibility. Just as sackcloth reflected inner brokenness, the garment of praise reflects an inner gratitude. But it’s not only about expression—it’s also about assignment. Praise is both the response of a changed heart and the responsibility of a breakthrough believer.

It’s the mantle of praise.

Praise is not only our response when God sets us free from heaviness, it is also a weapon against heaviness.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.”
—2 Corinthians 10:4

Praise is one of these weapons of warfare that Paul writes about. It is mighty in God—it has supernatural power.

To reiterate, praise is:

  • The response of a changed heart.

  • The responsibility of a breakthrough believer.

I want to share with you a few points on what happens when you put this mantle of praise on.

1. Praise brings God’s Presence

God is omnipresent—which means He is everywhere at all times.
But He is not always manifest Present.

Manifest Presence is when God reveals Himself in a felt way.
In other words, you experience Him.

David said in Psalm 22:3—
“But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.”

The Hebrew word for “enthroned” is yashab. It means to dwell, to abide, to inhabit.

David is sharing this key with all of us:
God dwells in praise!

If you’ve ever wondered where to find God, He’s located in your praise.

And when the King shows up on the throne of your praise, then kingdom power is released.

Heaviness is no match for the King of glory.

Praising people are Presence people.

2. Praise aligns your heart

Trials have a way of disorienting us. We sometimes forget how great God is and who He’s made us to be in Christ.

But praise puts us in proper perspective.
Praise re-aligns you to truth.

Asaph, one of the worship leaders in scripture, wrote in Psalm 73 about his struggle. He was frustrated that the people who didn’t serve God were prospering, and he, who did serve God, wasn’t prospering.

He wrestles with this, then writes in verses 16-17:

“When I thought how to understand this,
It was too painful for me—
Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their end.”
—Psalm 73:16-17

He gets in the Presence of God and gets a perspective shift. He realizes that in end, the wicked won’t prosper because they don’t have the relationship with God that he has.

What shifted? He got in the Presence of God.

How? Through praise. He was a worship leader in David’s Tabernacle. There were non-stop songs going on in the sanctuary in that day (1 Chron. 16:37). He entered an atmosphere of praise and God elevated his understanding.

You can do the same.

3. Praise overcomes heaviness

When Isaiah writes about the spirit of heaviness, he’s talking about a defeated spirit.

The Hebrew word for heaviness paints the picture of a wick on a candle with a small flame that’s almost gone out.

Someone reading this is on the verge of giving up—just like that image of a candle wick about to go out. I’m prophesying to you—don’t give up, give God praise! And watch as He sets you free from heaviness.

Declare this out loud: “God, You are good, You are great, You are worthy to be praised!”

The devil is a liar and he knows that your praise will silence him. That’s why he wants to silence you. You’ve got to silence the one who’s trying to silence you. You’ve got to resist the resistance. How? With the weapon of praise.

Praise is a weapon against heaviness.

You may face challenges on the outside, but you don’t have to let them get inside.

I say it like this in my book, “Fierce Peace”:
“Don’t let the storms around you become the storm within you.”

You have to refuse a defeated spirit.
You have to refuse to go silent and praise-less.
You have to refuse to be bulled by the spirit of heaviness.

Life gets tough, but God is tougher.
And God’s worth never changes throughout all of our circumstances.

He gives you the garment of praise so you can overcome the spirit of heaviness!

Paul and Silas were literally beaten and thrown into prison for ministering the gospel. When they had a prime opportunity to feel defeated, they chose to praise.

“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.”
—Acts 16:25

God responded to their praise with an earthquake! The prison doors flew open and the chains fell off all the prisoners! What a breakthrough!

Paul and Silas refused to succumb to the spirit of heaviness. They chose to praise God. They sang a song of praise! And God responded supernaturally and set them free.

CONCLUSION

It’s not always logical.
It’s not always practical.
But praise is always powerful.

When you praise, you invite God into your situation, you re-align your heart to His, and you overcome the spirit of heaviness.

Whether you’re going through a high or a low, God is always worthy of praise. Make it a habit to sing to the Lord. Make it a consistent practice in your life. Wear it like a garment!

Remember, praise is not only the response of a changed heart, it’s the responsibility of a breakthrough believer.

“Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!”
—Psalm 150:1-2, 6


Question:
How have you experienced God responding to your praise? How do you plan on making praise a normal practice in your life?

Andrew Hopkins
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