WHAT PRAISE TO GOD IS AND DOES!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JANUARY 21, 2022.

SUBJECT: WHAT PRAISE TO GOD IS AND DOES!

Memory verse: "I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of Your marvelous works." (Psalm 9 vs 1. )

READ: Psalm 149 vs 1 - 6:

149:1: Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise in the assembly of saints.

149:2: Let Israel rejoice in their Maker: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

149:3: Let them praise His name with the dance: let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.

149:4: For the LORD takes pleasure in His people: He will beautify the humble with salvation.

149:5: Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud on their beds.

149:6: Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;

INTIMATION:

Praise is expressing to God our appreciation and understanding of His worth. It is saying thank you for each aspect of His divine nature; His mercy, love, kindness, faithfulness etc. Our inward attitude becomes outward expression. Praise starts with a right understanding of God based on God’s own Word. Praise includes a growing reverence for who God is, which, in turn, imparts true wisdom to us. When we praise God, we help ourselves by expanding our awareness of who He is. Our worship should begin by acknowledging God’s love. Recalling God’s love and mercy will inspire you to worship Him daily. Praise God first, then you will be prepared to present your needs to Him. Praise God by singing, dancing, or playing musical instruments. God enjoys His people, and we should enjoy praising Him. 

Our praise should be focused on the good things God is doing for us. It is easy to complain about life, but we have so many things to praise God for. For instance, He forgives our sins, heels our diseases, redeems us from death, crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies, satisfies our desires, and gives righteousness and justice. We receive all of these without deserving any of them. No matter how difficult your life’s journey, you can always count your blessings—past, present, and future. When you feel as though you have nothing for which to praise God, look at the aforstated list. In all of these instances, praising God is simply giving Him the recognition He deserves. One way we can define what we mean by praising God is to consider the end result. The end result of giving God praise is to exalt Him and His name. 

Praise and thanksgiving should be a regular part of our routine, not reserved only for celebrations. Praise God continually, and you will find that you won’t take His blessings for granted. David made a vow to praise God each day. David continually praised God through both the good and difficult times of his life. Do you find something to praise God for each day? As you do you will find your heart elevated from daily distractions to lasting confidence. Beginning any task by praising God can inspire us to give Him our best. Develop the practice of giving praise to God, and you will experience greater joy and strength to face anything. 

Praise should be a sacrifice of our lips which we can offer anywhere, anytime, In anyplace. Prophet Hosea said, “Take away all iniquity; receive us graciously, for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips.” (Hoses 14 vs 2.)  We can also praise God in dance, prayer, studying God’s Word, proclamations, and the list goes on. No matter how we praise God, we must be sure to lift up His name above all else. “For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods” (Psalm 96 vs 4.)

Praise takes our minds off our problems and shortcomings and helps us focus on God who is in control of all circumstances. Praise causes us to consider and appreciate God’s character. Praise lifts our perspective from the earthly to the heavenly. Praise prepares our hearts to receive God’s love and the power of His Holy Spirit. Praise expresses our gratitude to God, and from the depths of our gratitude, we must praise Him, thank Him, and tell others about Him. Praise leads us from individual meditation to corporate worship. 

Songs of praise focus our attention on God, give us an outlet for spiritual celebration, and remind us of God’s faithfulness and character. Whether you are experiencing a great victory or a major dilemma praises to God can have a positive effect on your attitude. Praise is not just a song about God, it is a song to God. In praising God we can use many word pictures such as rock, lamp, light, shield, and so on to portray God’s marvelous attributes. 

Praising God has several aspects to it. We praise God when we (1) Say thank you to Him for each attribute of His divine nature. As you read the Bible, look for other characteristics of God for which to thank Him. (2) Focus our hearts on God. Take one attribute of God, such as His mercy, then concentrate on it for an entire week in your meditation and prayer. (3) Thank God for His many gracious gifts to us. Make a list and count your blessing. (4) thank God for our relationship with Him. Through Christ you have been given the gift of salvation. Tell God afresh how mush you appreciate it.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are the only God, before You there is no God, with You there is no other God, and there will be no other God after You. You are the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. There is none like You in heaven and on earth. I will praise You everyday of my life, and Your praise will never depart from my mouth. You are great, and greatly to be praised. May my praise come to You as a sweet smelling savor, acceptable to You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!