P.T.P.W (POST-TRAUMATIC PRAISE AND WORSHIP)
P.T.P.W (POST-TRAUMATIC PRAISE AND WORSHIP)
Bishop Craig L. Oliver, Sr.
“Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously." He has hurled both horse and rider into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song. He has given me victory. "This is my God, and I will praise Him—my father’s God, and I will exalt Him!” - Exodus 15:1-2
Israel’s journey to the promised land was, without a doubt, not an easy hike. Their journey pointed out some challenges, and recurring issues, all along the way. They had confusing detours, a terrible dead end at the Red Sea, discouraging dry holes in the wilderness, and empty deserts. Any one of those things in life would be a trial of faith, but the children of Isreal faced them all.
If there were one word that could describe the journey of the Israelites from Exodus 14 to Exodus 15, it would easily be traumatic. They were slaves for 400 years. Pharaoh killed all the Hebrew boys. They went through the ten plagues. They ran away to a place they didn't know, and then they were trapped between the desert and the sea with their enemies chasing after them. Many, if not all, could have had Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Throughout those fearful experiences, the Israelites didn’t have any support system to help them deal with their trauma—but they did have God. It's completely understandable that the Israelites were very fearful, which led them to question Moses, themselves, and even God. Their fear and trauma blinded them to the point that they could not see the bigger picture. They could not see what God was doing.
But in Exodus 15, it seemed like all of a sudden, the Israelites went from having PTSD to having PTPW.
POST-TRAUMATIC PRAISE AND WORSHIP
I define PTWP as Post-Traumatic Praise and Worship. After the Israelites made it through the Red Sea and crossed to the other side, the Bible tells us they had a moment of PTPW.
As soon as they had crossed the Red Sea, and they saw the waters collapse on the Egyptians who were chasing them, drowning them all, verse 1 of Exodus 15 says that Moses and the people of Israel sang a song to the Lord.
“Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously." He has hurled both horse and rider into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song. He has given me victory. "This is my God, and I will praise Him—my father’s God, and I will exalt Him!” - Exodus 15:1-2
Did you notice the first word of Exodus 15? It is a very simple yet significant word for the Israelites' journey. Then. Then indicates that what happened right after is something different from what had occurred before. What was different? The Israelites moved from a PTSD experience to a PTPW experience. They all gathered on the other side of the Red Sea and started to praise and worship God because He had delivered them.
THE BENEFITS OF PTPW
In behavioral science, what the Israelites engaged in is called “Music Therapy." Music Therapy is used to bring about a sense of hope, comfort, purpose, and meaning. It has been shown that music can calm a troubled heart and help people deal with pain.
Sometimes it isn’t the message that you need; it’s the music. Music that causes you to reflect on who God is in your life. Music that calms your soul when it is filled with anxiety and fear.
Music helps us get through trauma. This is why we’re a people who love to sing hymns, spiritual songs, and gospel music. When we’re sad, we listen to music. When we’re happy, we turn on some music. We can even identify our personalities by the types of songs that we have on our playlists.
MUSIC THERAPY IS BIBLICAL
Music Therapy, or PTPW, is biblical.
When Saul had a troubled spirit, he asked David to come and play the harp (1 Samuel16:14–233). Saul understood that something therapeutic happened when music was played. David also used music when he was transporting the Ark of the Covenant. There was music, singing, and dancing. Truth be told, David didn’t want to be seen as “dignified” if God couldn’t be glorified with the way he praised. He was even ridiculed by his own wife because of his “dancing.”
Remember Paul and Silas in Acts 16? Despite being imprisoned, they chose to sing praises to God. And what happened? He came to their rescue! He sent an earthquake and set them free! It was because of PTPW.
OUR PROPER RESPONSE TO GOD
Praise and worship should be our automatic response to what God has done for us and to who God is to us. It should be our normal, natural response that comes from our hearts. It is a beautiful response that comes from being redeemed.
For Christians, praise and worship should be prioritized; to live otherwise is a contradiction to what we proclaim. We are created by God to praise and worship Him, not just when things are going well. We have to have PTPW when we experience the worst in life.
It’s time for us to learn how to sing a song of deliverance even in the middle of our own Red Sea. No matter what we've been through, it's time for us to praise and worship God; it is our proper response to God’s redemptive grace and power that carried us through.
The question then becomes, "Why not get started right away?" Lift up a song of praise and worship to God and begin to feel the burdens lifted from your shoulders, and His peace in your heart!
