Perfected Praise

And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased,  And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? (Matthew 21:15-16)

In Matthew 21, Jesus had just entered Jerusalem. Miracles had been happening openly in front of everyone, demonstrating His authority publicly. The atmosphere in Jerusalem was filled with anticipation about what Jesus would do next. Amid all this, who was praising Him? It was not the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, or legal experts. It was children praising Him. The religious leaders were furious because the children’s genuine praise revealed how religion tries to control people.

Jesus didn’t react emotionally to the children’s praise but quoted Psalm 8 to explain it biblically. In that psalm, David shows that praise is a form of spiritual warfare, not just a song for church services. Praise isn’t about style, volume, or music; it’s about the subject of the praise: the Lord God Almighty and Jesus Christ our Lord! Honest, spontaneous, childlike praise will confront the enemy. The enemy hates childlike praise because children aren’t praising to pressure God or for logical reasons. They praise simply because they know God is good and declare that truth.  Praise doesn’t need to be elaborate to be effective; it must come from a sincere heart. Psalm 8 states that praise “stills” the enemy and the avenger. The Hebrew word means to silence, muzzle, or cause to cease. Satan is called “the accuser of the brethren,” and God’s response to his accusations isn’t debate or explanation—it’s praise.

Psalm 22:3 says that “God inhabits the praises of His people,” and where God dwells, the enemy can’t dominate. That’s why the priests were so angry: praise was drawing people's attention to Jesus rather than to their schemes.

Practical Application

Praise sincerely like a child, honestly and without pretense, before the breakthrough, not after. Praise builds authority and stops the enemy from advancing. If you're in a battle, you need to raise your praise.

Psalm 8:2; Psalm 149:6