Shout to the Lord!

September 24, 2008 #630 / By Susan McIntosh / susan@actsfoundation.com

Some of the new worship music, I have to say, is different! It is good, but, different! Some of it, however, especially to someone my age, seems a bit repetitive and for my lyric-loving mind, could use a bit more message. But, then, I look again at the continuous repeated refrains of passages like Psalm 119 and I have to rethink my views. Still getting accustomed to repeated refrains, God stretched me again! A few weeks ago in an Outpouring service a young worship leader encouraged us to SHOUT to the Lord. I managed to get through it graciously even though it was quite disconcerting. What caused me to enter in was the stirring of God’s Spirit in my heart. I was rather conservative in “shouting” but as I joined in, I forgot anyone else was there because I became keenly aware I had drawn near to God and He was drawing NEAR to me in an amazing nearness. It is experiences like this that is curtailing my quick to judge attitude when something is new. I have just become comfortable with clapping my hands in praise. The Word is full of examples of God’s people shouting to Him and clapping their hands in worship. How does God feel about us shouting? It must be important to Him because I heard a stirring sermon on it last week and the minister is a stately, respectable man of God. What is God doing to me?

It is hard enough to go through a private transformation in my heart. I gulped my way through in obedience. However, He has laid it on my heart to write to you about it and I know some of you are going to think I have really lost it now. I made a few attempts to write this article and finally erased it all except the first paragraph. Today, I knew if I was going to be able to cover the subject He would have to make it clear to me. As God would have it, Ralph was away on a mission today and our hostess was out so I found myself alone in this lovely home. The Holy Spirit said, “So, now you have no excuse. Walk around and shout to the Lord. No one is going to hear you but us (The Trinity).” “Weird,” I thought to myself. I have learned the voice of the Spirit, and, I am learning to obey His nudges with much reluctance. At last got up from my writing table and began walking around the house with, I admit, a little louder voice than usual, but, I would not call it shouting!

I did keep my eyes on the windows as I walked through the house calling out to the Lord because I felt extremely awkward and for sure I did not want anyone to hear me or see me. I admit also that it took me a few rounds through the family room, dining room, and living room before both my mind and reasoning were overruled and my spirit was caught up with a shouting praise and proclamation. Before I knew it, I began to sound more and more like a voice of triumph. It is difficult to put into words, but, an amazing knowing came into my heart that things were significantly changing in the situations of need that I had dared to shout out to the Lord. It was not a begging shout; I brought needs to Him with faith-filled words of expectancy.

Go ahead, I dare you, try it! Are there any spiritual Jericho walls that need to come down in your life or some stubborn spiritual strongholds in the lives of those for whom you pray? Trust me, it did become easier and easier for me the longer I persisted in obedience. You see once the Lord laid it on my heart to “shout to the Lord” I took time to do a word study through the Bible on the word “shout” and as I read one verse after another faith began to rise in my spirit that God was calling me to another realm with Him. You may recall Jericho walls were wide enough for chariots to be driven along the tops of them! Talk about a stronghold!!! Consistent obedience followed by shouts resulted in angels pushing those walls down. Excavators have discovered the walls were pushed down by a Supernatural force! We are “priests and kings” and, when this Truth finally penetrates our thinking, we WILL see a transformed Body of Christ! Then we WILL Rise up and Shine. We will see enemies defeated miraculously!

Today was the first time I have shouted in praise. I began with timid expressions of praise and then I elevated to true worship. In the atmosphere of worship there was a shift to a new freedom to shout for breakthrough and even that justice be done in some situations I was bringing to the King. The Children of Israel shouted and they saw God pursue their enemies Himself. Somehow in my spirit I had a confirmation that spiritual battles were being won as I shouted praise in faith for soon coming, radical breakthroughs—a good new job for one of our sons, justice in an unfair situation, favor for a political candidate, healing for two men who have brain injuries, etc. I was obedient. Shouting in prayer was different, but, so was the outcome. I could sense God observing me. I knew I had His ear. I was well aware I had captured His heart. My communion with Him soared.

WOW! Promise me, when the Spirit prompts you to, “Shout to the Lord” that you obey more quickly than I. Send your testimonies! It will be exciting to see what happens for you! If you still feel hesitant, read Mark 10 through a few times until you picture yourself shouting to Jesus. How desperate are you in your need? Shout, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” Shout it over and over! Trust me, He will show you His MERCY! He will step over close to you and touch you! SMc