Psalm 150:1-6 (NLT) 1 Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven!2 Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness!3 Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp!4 Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes!5 Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals.6 Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD!
What exactly is praise? Praise is the expression of approval or admiration for someone of something. For Christians God is the object of our praise. Christian praise is the joyful thankfulness and adoration of God, the celebration of His goodness and grace. Here’s a definition from the Holman Bible Dictionary; Praise comes from a Latin word meaning “value” or “price.” so to give praise to God is to proclaim His merit or worth. Many terms are used to express this in the Bible, including “glory,” “blessing,” “thanksgiving,” and “hallelujah,”
The enemy, Satan and his demons, despise our praise of God so much that he cannot even be in the presence of anyone who is actively doing that. Praise is our correct response to God for all He has done and is doing in our lives. So whenever you want the enemy to flee, praise God. It is one of our greatest weapons in the war against him.
Praise is not the thing that comes when everything's going right in our lives; it is the driving force of our lives. When we start praising God in the middle of our problems, our problems become so small that we hardly remember them at all, they become an afterthought in the wake of our praise.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT2) 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
What do you do in times of trials and tribulations? Do you become angry at God and ask why or do you praise your way through the storm? Praise is a powerful weapon that the children of God possess and it confuses the enemy of our soul. You have a choice- you can choose to keep quiet in the trials or you can choose to use your voice to get your praise on and experience victory as the King of glory comes to your defense.
What exactly is praise? Praise is the expression of approval or admiration for someone of something. For Christians God is the object of our praise. Christian praise is the joyful thankfulness and adoration of God, the celebration of His goodness and grace. Here’s a definition from the Holman Bible Dictionary; Praise comes from a Latin word meaning “value” or “price.” so to give praise to God is to proclaim His merit or worth. Many terms are used to express this in the Bible, including “glory,” “blessing,” “thanksgiving,” and “hallelujah,”
The enemy, Satan and his demons, despise our praise of God so much that he cannot even be in the presence of anyone who is actively doing that. Praise is our correct response to God for all He has done and is doing in our lives. So whenever you want the enemy to flee, praise God. It is one of our greatest weapons in the war against him.
Praise is not the thing that comes when everything's going right in our lives; it is the driving force of our lives. When we start praising God in the middle of our problems, our problems become so small that we hardly remember them at all, they become an afterthought in the wake of our praise.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT2) 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
What do you do in times of trials and tribulations? Do you become angry at God and ask why or do you praise your way through the storm? Praise is a powerful weapon that the children of God possess and it confuses the enemy of our soul. You have a choice- you can choose to keep quiet in the trials or you can choose to use your voice to get your praise on and experience victory as the King of glory comes to your defense.
But I Don't Feel Like Praising God
By Mary Southerland
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7, NIV
Praise does not depend on an understanding of the circumstance or trial. Praise depends on an understanding of who God really is and wants to be in our life, and on our willingness to put our Faith in Him.
As humans, we will never fully understand God – this side of heaven. God is holy and without blemish. God is all-powerful and omniscient. He is Creator of the universe and yet lives in you and me at our invitation. He is the only true, living God!
We may understand some of His ways and grasp the reasoning behind some of His plans. We may even come to the place of knowing Him on what I call an intimate level, but a full understanding of God is reserved for heaven. Until then, we walk by faith, not by sight. We praise Him in the darkness, knowing that the light is just ahead. We trust Him for things we cannot see. Honestly, the thought of serving and relying on a God I can understand is not a reassuring thought.
Most people who know me well would describe me as a strong person, someone who can usually handle what life holds. I thought the same thing until I became a powerless prisoner of the darkness as I battled severe clinical depression. It took me two long years to climb out of that dark pit, but in the process I learned many important truths.
I learned that I couldn’t depend on my own strength or my fickle emotions. God often asked me to praise Him when there didn’t seem to be a whole lot to praise him for. I didn’t feel like praising Him.
I began to understand that praise is not a feeling.
Praise is a choice, a step of obedience taken without the assurance of a changed circumstance or the elimination of a trial.
Praise focuses on God, not the circumstance, and fixes its gaze on God’s truth and God’s character instead of on the trial at hand.
We can celebrate the battle before it even begins because the outcome is neither our responsibility nor our goal.
Praise begins and ends with faith in the very nature, personality and integrity of God … and that never changes.
No matter what lies ahead, God is faithful.
No matter how hot the fiery trial may be, God is with us and will deliver us in it or from it.
So praise God!
Thank Him today for every victory tomorrow holds.
Celebrate - knowing that the battle belongs to God, and because of that single truth, success is certain.
Let's Pray
Father, I praise You today for all that You have done in my life. You are faithful even when I am faithless. Your love pursues me even when I am unlovable. Your forgiveness covers my sin and frees me from its penalty. I praise You for your love and faithfulness to me. Your presence in my life changes everything, empowering me to live each moment of every day, content in knowing You are in control. As I face today, Lord, remind me that no matter what happens, I can praise You!
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
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