2 Chronicles 20:21-22
And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.  And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah had had their time of prayer and fasting.  They sought the Lord and asked for His help.  And He sent word to them through His prophet that victory was assured.  He would give them the victory.  They would go forth to the battlefield, but God would do the fighting on their behalf and their enemies would be destroyed.

So the people go out to face those enemy armies.  As they march to battle, they sing praise to the Lord.  Before the victory is even in hand, before they see what God is going to do on their behalf, it is time to praise Him.  And it was at that very moment when they began to sing that God moved and brought about the victory He had promised to them.

Our praise to God should ring out as we head forth into our battles.  With those songs of praise on our lips, our hearts will be encouraged with the truth of God and the knowledge of His presence with us.  As we praise Him and glorify Him, we’ll be reminded of His goodness and mercy, of His power and majesty, of His eternal nature.  And as we sing, we’ll demonstrate that our full trust is in the one who promised us victory.

Those times of battle are not times to cower in fear and silence, but to make much of praising God and acknowledging Him for who He is and what He does.  We can magnify the Lord and lift Him high even before the victory is achieved because it is promised, and we can be assured that our faithful God will keep His word.  We do not need to go forth trembling and wondering if what we have will be enough to face what is ahead, but we can go forth confidently singing to our God, knowing that He will come through as He says He will.