Praise Before the Breakthrough | Pastor Daniel Groves

Devotional

Day 1: Marching Around Impossible Walls

Joshua’s army faced towering stone walls. God told them to march silently for six days – no swords, no strategy, just obedience. Priests blew ram’s horns while warriors walked circles of trust. Their sandals kicked up dust as they stared at unmoving barriers, believing victory came through obedience, not effort. [16:26]

God’s methods defy human logic because He wants our dependence, not our brilliance. Jericho’s walls didn’t fall through Israel’s strength but through their willingness to follow absurd instructions. Jesus still calls us to walk when we’d rather fight, trusting His power over our plans.

What wall have you been analyzing instead of obeying? Where is God asking you to “get your steps in” even when progress seems invisible? Name one area where you’ll choose obedience over understanding today.

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.”
(Hebrews 11:30, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God for courage to obey His direction today, even when it makes no sense.
Challenge: Write down one “impossible” situation and circle it seven times in prayer this morning.

Day 2: Silence Before the Shout

For six days, Israel marched without a word. No complaining, no strategizing – just the crunch of footsteps and blast of trumpets. The silence wasn’t passive; it was active trust. Soldiers bit back doubts as they passed the same stubborn stones, their quietness declaring God’s battle wasn’t theirs to explain. [28:54]

God cultivates miracles in hidden seasons. Like Joseph in prison or David in caves, silent trust builds spiritual muscle. Jesus spent 30 quiet years preparing for three years of ministry. Your waiting isn’t wasted when it’s welded to His timing.

What “pending miracle” have you stopped talking about? Where have you let frustration drown out faith’s quiet work? Tomorrow, share one testimony of God’s past faithfulness with someone feeling stuck.

“But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.”
(Habakkuk 2:20, NIV)

Prayer: Confess areas where you’ve prioritized complaining over trusting.
Challenge: Set a 5-minute timer today to sit in complete silence, focusing only on God’s faithfulness.

Day 3: Styrofoam Walls and Kingdom Perspective

The enemy builds illusions – walls painted to look impenetrable. Like the fake stone wall Joshua’s army faced, our obstacles often crumble when we lean into God’s reality. What seems fortified is frequently flimsy to faith. The shout of praise exposes lies, revealing barriers as temporary props. [13:29]

Satan magnifies problems; God magnifies His promises. Jesus faced death’s “wall” head-on, knowing resurrection would reduce it to rubble. Your Jericho isn’t stronger than His voice. Every obstacle bows to persistent praise and obedience.

What “stone wall” have you been afraid to touch? Write the name of one fear and physically touch a wall while praying: “Jesus, show me Your reality here.”

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…”
(Ephesians 3:20, NLT)

Prayer: Thank God for three specific promises He’s already fulfilled in your life.
Challenge: Text someone today: “Your wall is weaker than you think – let’s pray through it.”

Day 4: Sacrifice in the Seventh Lap

On the seventh day, Israel’s legs burned from 13 miles of marching. Priests’ lips chapped from blowing horns. Yet they shouted before walls fell – raw praise without evidence. Their sacrifice wasn’t about feelings but covenant: honoring God’s character over their comfort. [26:32]

Jesus praised the Father in Gethsemane before His breakthrough resurrection. True worship costs – it’s easy to sing after healing comes, harder when pain persists. Yet sacrifice shifts our gaze from temporary walls to eternal victory.

When did you last praise God through tears? What “unanswered” prayer can you thank Him for today, trusting His timing over yours?

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise…”
(Hebrews 13:15, NIV)

Prayer: Praise God aloud for 60 seconds about a struggle, ignoring current circumstances.
Challenge: Donate $7 (or 7 items) to someone in need, symbolizing the seventh lap of faith.

Day 5: Shouting at Standing Stones

Joshua shouted victory before cracks appeared. His declaration wasn’t denial but divine perspective – God already saw Jericho’s fall. Like David running toward Goliath, faith proclaims triumph while the giant still stands. Our praise isn’t a reaction; it’s a war cry. [35:34]

Jesus declared “It is finished” while still on the cross. Heaven’s timeline sees breakthroughs as done. Your walls may still stand, but their defeat is secured. Live from that victory, not toward it.

What victory will you declare today that’s still invisible? How can your actions this week reflect trust in God’s “already done” perspective?

“Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!”
(Joshua 6:16, NIV)

Prayer: Declare God’s power over one “standing wall” three times aloud.
Challenge: Write “VICTORY” on your mirror and shout it every time you pass by today.

Sermon Summary

We anchor our hope in Ephesians 3:20 and learn to praise while the promise remains in process. We define praise as an intentional expression of honor, gratitude, and celebration toward God for who he is, for what he has done, and for what he promises to do. We refuse to let emotions or visible results dictate our worship; instead, we practice praise as an act of faith that aligns our hearts with divine purposes even amid waiting. The people of Israel crossed the Jordan and entered promise territory, only to encounter Jericho’s walls, which teach that opposition often confirms assignment and refines character rather than signaling abandonment.

We study Joshua 6 to see God’s strange but sovereign strategy: march, trust, and obey without relying on human tactics. Obedience becomes the laboratory of faith when God asks us to act in ways that make no natural sense, because those moments keep faith from attaching to mere explanation. Silence, repeated obedience, and perseverance form the faith that erupts into public celebration. The soldiers and priests marched in quiet trust for six days and shouted only when commanded, showing that private trust precedes public praise.

We confront common temptations: praising only after the walls fall, chasing immediate outcomes, and allowing delay to become discouragement. Silence does not equal inactivity; God often works quietly before working visibly. Waiting refines our character so that the promise, when it arrives, will bless rather than burden us. Praise shifts attention from the problem to the Promise Keeper and functions as visible evidence that we believe God’s completed perspective even when our circumstances remain unchanged.

We commit to continuing faithful practices in the waiting: worship, prayer, obedience, generosity, and humble service. We recognize that the breakthrough process may be sacrificial and slow, but those seasons prepare us for greater stewardship of what God gives. We will keep marching, keep getting our steps in, and keep praising before the breakthrough, trusting that delay is not denial and that God specializes in the impossible. When the walls fall, we will proclaim what God has done and testify that praise in the process shaped the victory.

Key Takeaways

1. Praise before the breakthrough is obedience Praise expresses trust before outcomes appear; it chooses to honor God when circumstances still argue otherwise. This posture trains our soul to depend on God’s character rather than on shifting feelings or visible proof. When we praise in the meantime, we position ourselves to receive what God promises without letting impatience ruin the result. [22:19]
2. Obedience outruns emotional certainty God sometimes gives directives that make no natural sense so that faith cannot hitch to explanation. Acting when we do not yet see results forces reliance on God and matures our capacity to steward what comes. Obedience in the strange places cultivates resilience for real breakthroughs. [16:48]
3. Silent trust births public praise Private fidelity builds the foundation for public celebration; what we trust in silence becomes what we proclaim aloud. Walking in steady, unseen trust prevents publicity from shaping faith and keeps gratitude rooted in covenant, not circumstance. The discipline of quiet worship readies us for testimony. [28:54]
4. Delay does not equal denial Waiting often refines character and confirms assignment rather than cancels promise. Interpreting silence as abandonment misunderstands God’s timing; many biblical leaders waited long seasons before public appointment. Holding hope steady in delay prepares us to receive without being ruined by sudden favor. [31:04]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:50] - Anchor Verse: Ephesians 3:20
[02:47] - Defining Praise
[08:56] - Entering the Promise Season
[11:52] - Walls and False Barriers
[15:18] - God’s Unusual Strategy
[17:52] - Reading Joshua 6
[22:19] - Praise as Act of Faith
[28:54] - Silence Before Celebration
[31:04] - Delay Is Not Denial
[42:41] - Invitation and Response

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Joshua 6:1-20 (ESV)
Ephesians 3:20 (ESV)

Observation questions

In Joshua 6, what specific actions did God command the Israelites to take before the walls fell? How did their obedience differ from typical military strategies?
According to Ephesians 3:20, what does God’s power accomplish in believers? How does this relate to the idea of "praise before the breakthrough"?
The sermon emphasized that the Israelites marched in silence for six days before shouting on the seventh day ([19:51]). What does this reveal about the relationship between obedience and visible outcomes?
Hebrews 11:30 (referenced in the sermon) states, "By faith the walls of Jericho fell." How does this verse connect faith to action in Joshua’s story?

Interpretation questions

Why might God intentionally choose strategies (like marching silently) that seem illogical or counterintuitive to human understanding? How does this challenge our reliance on "natural" solutions?
The sermon states, "What you trust in silence, you’ll praise in public" ([28:54]). How does private obedience prepare believers for public miracles or breakthroughs?
The pastor said delay is not denial ([31:04]). How might prolonged waiting seasons refine character or deepen trust in God’s timing, even when circumstances remain unchanged?
In Joshua 6:16, Joshua declares victory before the walls fall. How does speaking faith in advance align with God’s "completed perspective" of our situations?

Application questions

Praise before the breakthrough is an act of obedience. What current situation in your life requires you to praise God while waiting, even if nothing has visibly changed?
The Israelites’ obedience involved repetitive, seemingly mundane steps (e.g., daily marching). Are there areas where God is asking you to "keep getting your steps in" ([40:06]) despite monotony or discouragement? What would that look like this week?
Silent trust often feels like inactivity. How can you intentionally shift your focus from analyzing your "wall" (problem) to declaring God’s promises over it ([39:23])? Write down one promise from Scripture to speak over your situation.
The sermon warns against letting emotions dictate worship ([25:55]). When have you struggled to praise God because of fear, frustration, or disappointment? What practical step can you take to prioritize covenant trust over emotional reactions?
Joshua 6 required collective obedience from the entire community. Is there a "wall" in your family, workplace, or church that requires unified faith and action? How can you encourage others to persevere in trust?
The pastor mentioned "pending miracles" ([29:34]). How can you cultivate gratitude for God’s past faithfulness while still believing for breakthroughs in unresolved areas?
"Delay is not denial" ([31:04]). What habit or discipline (e.g., prayer, serving, generosity) can you strengthen during your current waiting season to stay aligned with God’s purposes?

Sermon Clips

34s

#TrustInSilence

“What you trust in silence, you'll praise in public. This gets really deep. For six days, they marched in silence. No shouting, no commentary, no compliments, no strategy sessions or discussions, just silence. Because some victories are formed and cultivated in private trust before public celebration. We've had people that are walking through some things. We I I we call them pending miracles. Probably 35 or 40 right now in the lobby. We talk to people in the lobby who are walking through a hey, I went to the doctor. I'm waiting on the report. That's a pending miracle. And we're noticing there's this there's this silent trust about them.”

38s

#FaithObeysFirst

“So frustrated, but spiritually, we also struggle with our emotions. Praise is an act of faith before it's an emotional response. Hebrews eleven thirty says, by faith, not by wisdom or strategy. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell. The army marched around it against seven times. Hebrews is also running this parallel showing us what happened in Joshua. Notice what it does not say. Not by military strength. Right? Not by tactical brilliance. Not even by force. By faith. Come on, somebody say by faith. By faith. Because faith obeys before outcomes ever appear.”

37s

#CharacterBeforePlatform

“God is less concerned with getting something to us quickly because he knows the promise can't arrive before your character is ready. Because if you rush it, you'll ruin it. He needs to prepare you here. I preached this for a long time for a place called there. The blessing will become a burden if the platform arrives before humility arrives. Some of y'all are walking around like, why not me? Because Lord's like, I I said, I needed to get humble. That's why I took my hair. Before I give you a platform, I'm a have to humble you. I want you to write this last one down. Your praise is evidence that you believe what God has said.”

25s

#WaitingIsEquipping

“No. We don't love the the breakthrough process. Everybody wants to experience the resurrection power of Jesus, but nobody wants the sacrificial silent waiting seasons. You know, the waiting season, we preach this for years, doesn't have to be a wasted season. It can be an equipping season if you allow it. But if you're complaining, why am I here? You you're not receiving the blessings that he's providing in the midst of the waiting.”

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Praise Before the Breakthrough | Pastor Daniel Groves | Hope City