Praise to Fight

From J.E. Tada's More Precious than Silver

When it comes to frontline defense against the Devil's attacks, we often bypass praise and scramble to do something--anything---to remedy, rectify, or resolve the problem. Make lists, set goals, get counseling, go shopping, raid the fridge, read a book on the subject or talk about it with others. But praise? Yet we learn from Jehoshaphat that praise must always be the first line of defense. 2 Chron 20.6, 12

To be honest, how many of you when distressed beyond anything pop on praise and worship music and, once singing along...have whatever distressed you still bothering you? To praise God will simply destroy most "bad" thoughts. 
When I was a small child, worried or scared about whatever, and I began to sing my favorite worship songs, I saw in my mind's eye the devil squirming and melting away, much like the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz. 
Perhaps it is somewhat like that. The evil ones certainly can't stand to be around us when we turn and praise God. It is too revolting to them. And while you are singing (whether aloud or in your soul), they cannot influence your thoughts.
I have found, too...that while I may still hurt, may still feel sick. my thoughts about RA change drastically with praise of God. Writing out verses has been my recent thing with the Psalms (and other passages), and it does help. 
Which goes to prove I need to do this more--praising God to win the fight. I have felt very discouraged the last week, but especially the last three days. I have been couch-bound again, too tired to really care to do much. I pretty much have forced myself to write blog posts, try to read books and try to do my "work". I try to take a walk. But I hurt so much, and every time I eat I feel like throwing up (well, not every time, but most meals are not sitting well again). I pretty much want to eat popsicles because they sit ok. I cannot sit up very long again without getting some joint kinked wrong, breaking into a rolling sweat and trying to lay down "just so" to stop the agonizing pain driving my nausea. My insurance doesn't want to give me more than 9 anti nausea pills per fill, so I have to send someone to the pharmacy all the time......
And it hurts to see the broken look on the faces of my family, because I am in a worse spell. I am not up talking to everyone, cleaning house a little, discussing God with great enthusiasm. I am just existing. And I can't help that....because I feel to terrible to care. So I will work on my "work" and wait for God to help me out of this flare up.