Let Judah go first
There’s something about the moments right before a battle. Your mind runs through every possible scenario, your emotions swing between bold faith and quiet fear, and you can feel the tension in the air. It’s in those moments that strategies are born - not just in the natural, but in the spirit. And God’s strategies rarely look like ours. Instead of “sharpen your sword” or “fortify your walls,” He’ll give you an instruction that doesn’t make sense to the human mind but holds supernatural weight: “Praise first.”
We see this in Judges 20. The Israelites were preparing for war against the Benjamites, and in verse 18, they did what any wise person should do before stepping into a fight - they went to God first:
“Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin?”
And the LORD said, “Judah first.”
On the surface, that’s just a battle order: send the tribe of Judah first. But the Hebrew meaning of Judah is praise. That’s where the revelation drops. God wasn’t just naming a tribe - He was laying down a spiritual principle that still stands today: Before you fight, you praise.
If you’ve been following my last couple of posts, you’ll remember two key points:
Judah is more than a tribe - it’s a prophetic picture of praise.
In Worship at the Frontline, we studied 2 Chronicles 20:2–25, where King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah went into battle not with weapons drawn, but with songs on their lips. And because they worshipped before they fought, God Himself fought for them. Their enemies were defeated without them swinging a single sword.
That’s the pattern. The Holy Spirit has been making it so clear to me lately - praise and worship aren’t the warm-up before the “real” fight. They are the fight. They’re not filler; they’re strategy. They’re weapons that dismantle what the enemy is building before you even lay a hand on it.
This is where it gets personal for me: worship might not change the enemy’s position immediately - but it will change yours. When you’re in the middle of something heavy, your instinct is to zero in on the problem. You replay it, analyse it, and pick it apart like that’s going to make it easier to solve. But here’s the danger: the more you stare at the problem, the bigger it gets in your mind, and the smaller God starts to feel in your perspective. Worship breaks that cycle. When you worship, you lift your eyes off the chaos in front of you and fix them on the One who’s already secured the victory. It’s a conscious, sometimes stubborn choice to say, “I’m not giving my full attention to this fight - I’m setting my eyes on my King.” And worship is not passive. It’s not background music. It’s not “what we do to warm up before the Word.” Worship is a spiritual act of war. It dethrones fear, anxiety, and hopelessness, and seats God in His rightful place in your situation. When you worship in the midst of a battle, you’re declaring:
Jehovah Tsidkenu – the Lord my Righteousness, covering me when I feel exposed.
Yahweh Sabaoth – the Lord of Hosts, commanding angel armies on my behalf.
El Gibbor – the Mighty God, whose strength is unmatched.
My safe place. My fortress. My ever-present help in trouble, and the lifter-up of my head.
And something shifts in that space. The giant in front of you may still be standing, but you remember the God who is bigger than the giant. You remember the fight isn’t yours to win in your own strength. Worship changes how you see the battle - and how you stand in it. Worship doesn’t just lift your gaze; it anchors it. Because let’s be real - some battles drag on. Some storms take their time. And in those drawn-out seasons, worship keeps your focus locked on God’s faithfulness, even when everything else is trying to pull you back into fear. If worship is the lifting of your eyes, praise is the lifting of your voice. Praise says, “I trust You” while the storm is still raging. It’s a declaration that the outcome is already secure because the One you trust is unshakable. That’s what Jehoshaphat and his people did - they praised before the victory, and their praise released heaven’s intervention. That’s the power of a faith-filled sound - it doesn’t just acknowledge God’s presence, it invites His power to move.
So when God says, “Judah first,” He’s not only speaking about Israel’s positioning on the battlefield. He’s speaking to ours.
Before you start mapping out a plan.
Before you spiral into overthinking.
Before fear convinces you to pull back from what God has promised - send Judah ahead. Let praise lead.
In every battle - whether it’s your health, your money, your relationships, or the war in your own head - our first instinct is to fight in the flesh. But God’s strategy flips that completely: Praise first. Praise shifts the atmosphere. It reminds every enemy and every fear who’s actually in charge. When Judah goes first, you’re not walking into that battle alone - you’re stepping in with the Commander of Heaven’s Armies leading the way. And here’s the thing: praise doesn’t just change how you see the battle - it changes the battle itself. It confuses the enemy. It breaks chains. It opens doors. And it’s not because you fought harder, but because you aligned yourself with the God who has never lost.
So this week, let Judah go ahead of you. In the quiet, private battles that nobody else knows about. In your marriage. In your finances. In your health. Make praise the first thing out of your mouth, not the last. Before the call. Before the meeting. Before the tears - praise. Because your victory isn’t waiting on the outcome - it’s waiting on your obedience to let praise lead the way. And when praise goes first, victory will always follow.
With love,
P xo
