Hans R. Waldvogel emphasizes the transformative power of praise in the life of a believer, asserting that true praise places Jesus on the throne of our hearts. He explains that when we allow Jesus to reign within us, we experience the 'shout of a King' and the Kingdom of God becomes a reality in our lives. Waldvogel warns against allowing anything else, such as sin or anxiety, to take that throne, as it leads to spiritual defeat. He encourages believers to engage in practical praise as a powerful weapon against the challenges they face, highlighting that it is an expression of faith and a vital part of our relationship with God. Ultimately, he calls for a heart check to ensure that Jesus is truly reigning within us.

Selected Verses: Numbers 23:21 …the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them. John 14:23 …If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. Hebrews 2:12 …I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. Opening: …and so I’m glad to the Lord, the Holy Ghost, for a practical school. He doesn’t only talk to us about praise—like the Baptist preachers used to. I used to wonder about it. The choir would sing, “Shout unto the Lord, and everything within us shout!” And one time, when the Lord came upon me, I gave just a little wee bit of a shout, and they all jumped down my throat. In other words, they didn’t want the practical application of the truth of God. But today, thank God, in our circles we have a practical teaching, and a practical experience, and that’s the quickest way to learn. They say experience is the best school and fools will learn in no other. But at any rate, everybody can learn in the school of experience. And one thing we ought to be very […] is a practical application of praise. We don’t have too much praise. But the Holy Ghost has said if you don’t praise the Lord, you’re going to fail. But I trust all of us are awake to it, and interested enough to know that it’s a very definite act of God: “The shout of a King is in them.” That’s what praise is. … Selected Quotes: There is no such comparison to be made… but if we could make a comparison, it seems to me that praise in the Holy Ghost is the highest gift. The Lord has said it’s the highest form of service—praising the Lord. Why, it puts Jesus on the throne! And the reason people don’t praise Him at times is because somebody else reigns there… How very, very different when that “law the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” dominates me, where the law of sin and death was reigning within my heart, within my soul, within my spirit. Now Jesus is enthroned within my heart. Why, that’s the very heart of the Gospel! … We could search our hearts this morning and see whether that has been realized, whether I have a practical experience: “Christ in me?” Oh, sin will be there—flesh will reign, until Jesus Christ really is in me. He and the Father come and make their abode with us. And that scripture text shows us how far the church has drifted from the Gospel… God have mercy on the church that has enthroned the devil, and the flesh, and the world! But who is enthroned in my heart this morning? Praise will tell you—“the shout of a King.” Oh, when the King reigns within your heart, He’ll shout, and it will not be yourself. You will lend your voice, and your body, and your soul, and your spirit, but He’ll do the shouting. That’s the wonderful thing I’ve discovered about praise. Have you made the discovery? Have you found out that praise means the reign of Jesus Christ within you? …You cannot have the devil, or trouble, or worry, or anxiety on the throne of your heart and Jesus and the same time. You’ve got to dethrone one or the other… When He said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness,” it means, “Make room for Me. Let me reign—I’ll show you something. I’m the King of Glory!” ... Oh, how important is praise! It’s an expression of faith, and it’s a Kingdom experience… As a minister I need it: it’s a very powerful weapon… Instead of fighting three days and getting licked in the end, they were gathering the spoil for three days. Have you ever experienced that? Do you know why that’s in the Bible? Why, because there’s a great army arrayed against us! And all your ingenuity, and all your fighting is not going to win the victory for you. … I know that He has given us weapons that are “mighty through God.” When He says, “the kingdom of God is within you,” He means that Jesus Christ wants to be enthroned in your heart. Hallelujah! And when He says, “the shout of a King is in them,” and in another place, talking about Jesus, He says, “In the midst of the Church will I sing praises unto Thee,” beloved, we have to make the choice. We’ve got to say who is going to reign… “The Kingdom is within.” Oh, do you let Jesus reign? It’ll cost you something: it’ll cost you your rags, it’ll cost you your ash-can. And in place of them He’ll give you “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for the spirit of heaviness.” And in place of the enemy you will see the hosts of heaven surrounding you.